Mutton goes up and then it goes down at Bendigo

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Yarding - 33,000

There was a similar number of 19,550 lambs at Bendigo and the quality was mostly from very good to average after last weeks rain. New season lambs supply continues to flow in taking up the majority with 12,400 offered. There was many runs of well presented new season heavy lambs and very good trade weights. Old lambs varied in quality from good heavy weights to secondary plainer types at the end of most agents run. The usual buyers attended and they operated with an increase in demand. The market was generally $3 to $8/head dearer especially on the heavy and the trade weight lambs as they ranged in average from 470c to 530c/kg cwt. Light lambs during the sale sold close to unchanged. Restockers paid from $31 to $72 for lighter lambs and a Ballarat restocker purchased lambs from mainly $110 to $125/head. Extra heavy old Merino lambs made to $152 and a few pens of the better young Merino lambs sold from $57 to $96/head. Close to 2,970 hoggets were penned and the best of the Merino portion sold from $41 to $91 with the crossbreds with cover making between $40 to $83/head.

Light young lambs to processors made $29 to $64 and the light trade weights sold from $66 to $96/head. Trade weight new season lambs sold from $100 to $128/head averaging an estimated 500c to 530c/kg cwt. Heavy young lambs 25 to 26kg cwt made from $125 to $140, heavier weights sold from $130 to $152 and the extra heavy new season lambs were from $153 to $168/head averaging from mainly 470c to 520c/kg cwt.

Extra heavy old lambs made $125 to $164, the heavier trade weights made from $92 to $144 and the medium trade old lambs were from $80 to $104/head. Prices from the good quality ranged in average from 430c to 500c/kg cwt.

Sheep numbers jumped by close to 9,650 as approximately 13,750 head were yarded. The quality overall was mixed from good to plain with most weights and grades represented. Prices for sheep were mostly from $10 to $25/head cheaper with not all the processors operating in a subdued market that lacked competition. Lighter weight mutton was from $3 to $9/head easier. The medium to heavy sheep sold from mostly $24 to $53/head. Most of the mutton averaged between an estimated 90c to 150c/kg cwt. A few Merino ram sales were from $2 to $8/head.

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