Lamb supply declines at Bendigo

Yarding - 13,820

Pressure is increasing on meat buyers as both the numbers and quality of available lambs continue to decline. Today, only 7,870 lambs were yarded in an unseasonably wintry offering, with high-quality hard-fed crossbred lambs off grain becoming increasingly difficult to find. In terms of dollars per head, this sale was comparable to recent trends, ranging from $300 to $393 per head for export lambs. However, when factoring in the decreased weight and finish, the estimated carcass cost was higher, ranging from 1,050 to over 1,100 cents per kilogram.

The best trade lambs also recorded higher carcass prices. There was a notable price increase for Merino lambs, which constituted some of the larger runs, with lightweight pens gaining between $10 and $20 per head despite having minimal fat cover at times. The increased rates for most lamb categories were achieved even though a couple of exporters were not operating and some high-end domestic orders could not be fulfilled due to supply and quality issues.

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For heavy export lambs, prices ranged from $340 to $393 per head. Heavy crossbred lambs weighing 26-30 kg carcass weight (cwt) sold for $280 to $335, with some notably higher carcass prices for well-presented pens close to 28 kg cwt. The best trade lambs fetched between $240 and $290 per head, while plainer and lighter types were priced at $190 to $230 per head. The best processing lambs ranged from 1,050 to 1,150 cents per kg cwt, while second-tier processing lambs. Competition intensified for Merino lambs, with lead trades selling for $220 to $280 per head, pushing prices higher into the 900 cents per kg cwt range and above 1,000 cents per kg at times. Lightweight Merino lambs under 20 kg cwt were noticeably more expensive, priced between $150 and $204 per head for the better-presented types, with lighter Marked-MK bag Merino lamb pens selling for $94 to $155 per head. Demand for light lambs of all grades remained strong in this market, even for those showing little fat cover.

Approximately 6,000 sheep were yarded, primarily consisting of trade and lighter types in score 1 and 2 conditions. Prices for heavy sheep remained unchanged due to a major northern exporter being out for maintenance, while lighter mutton saw price increases of $10 to $20 per head. Heavy Dorper ewes sold for up to $248 per head, crossbreds for up to $246 per head, Merino ewes for up to $240 per head, and Merino wethers for $195 per head. Most heavier mutton was priced between $170 and $220 per head, while many light and trade sheep sold for $100 to $150 per head, with the most secondary ewes going for as low as $68 per head. The estimated rate for mutton was between 650 and 750 cents per kg cwt.

https://www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/Services/Bendigo-Livestock-Exchange