Back at Ballarat

Yarding: 47,667

Lamb numbers dropped to 32,436, quality slipped over the lighter store lambs. The trade lambs under 24kg cwt presented in plain to very good condition with several lots of secondary types lacking finish. Heavy trade and heavy export ranged from good to excellent. All the usual buying group were present, but not all were active with processors sitting off the rail over the store and lighter trade weights, while the store buyers made the most of this increasing their activity.

Store and feeder lambs sold from $9 to $20 cheaper, light trade to $14 softer and medium and heavy trade $8 to $12 cheaper. Heavy export sold to a top of $260, selling from $10 to $15/head back on last week’s levels. Although the market ended softer there were still sales holding firm on last week’s price for the really neat short skin trade lambs presented in exceptional condition, while the secondary types received larger discounts across the yarding. Lambs back to the paddock sold from $2 to $116 and lambs to feed on made from $108 to $148/head. Light trade lambs under 18kg sold from $63 to $116/head. Trade lambs 18 to 22kg sold from $114 to $146, lambs 22 to 26kg sold $130 to $175/head to have an average range of 550c to 630c/kg cwt. Heavy export lambs 26 to 30kg made from $168 to $210 and over 30kg sold from $200 to $260/head with an average range of 630c to 655c/kg cwt.

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Mutton numbers remained similar with 15,231 penned. Quality varied from plain to very good, with serval pens of heavy merino sheep presented in excellent condition. The sale opened softer to a week ago, not all buyers were operating and the sale was very erratic at times. Merino wethers sold from $14 to $105, slipping $7 to $17/head. Merino Ewes made from $12 to $95, selling from $8 to $15 cheaper and the heavy crossbred mutton made from $57 to $90, selling $9 to $18/head softer. Most mutton average from 140c to 260c/kg cwt.

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