Erratic market at Ballarat as winter kicks in

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Yarding - 32,103

Lamb supply decreased to 25,300 penned, quality was plain to excellent, more lambs were presented showing signs of the cold winter conditions. Most of the usual buying group were attended in an erratic market, competition was strong for lambs in short skin with good fat cover selling in places to $15/head dearer, but the secondary plainer lambs selling to a cheaper trend to a week ago. Overall trade lambs sold firm to $6 softer and heavy and extra heavy export lambs sold to a top of $300 to be $6 to $8/head cheaper.

Store buyers were more active this week putting pressure on processors of the lighter secondary lambs needing finish. Lambs back to the paddock and to feed on made from $70 to $184 selling to $15/head dearer in places. Light lambs under 18kg cwt to suit MK orders to the trade sold from $114 to $155 being $10/head better. Trade lambs 18 to 22kg made from $159 to $188, lambs 22 to 24kg sold from $176 to $204, lambs 24 to 26kg made from $195 to $222/head, with a wide average range of 780c to 825c/kg cwt. Export lambs 26 to 30kg made from $209 to $242 and over 30kg sold from $240 to $300/head with an average range of 760c to 790c/kg cwt.

Sheep numbers slipped to 6,700, the quality was mixed ranging from plain to very good with a small field of buyers on the rail, light sheep sold to $17/head cheaper and heavy mutton held mostly firm to a few dollars easier. Heavy Merino wethers made from $180 to $262/head with an average of 700c to 750c/kg cwt. Heavy Merino ewes sold from $169 to $220, with an average range of 650c to 700c, and heavy crossbred mutton made $180 to $257/head to average 650c to 690c/kg cwt.

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