Mutton shaved at Bendigo

Zero Commission Livestock Selling - Agents and Private sellers, you can now sell your Livestock for free on Farm Tender. Check out how it works here.

Yarding - 18,550

Lamb numbers are slowing increasing, 13,000 yarded with about half being new season stock. Quality was very good in the new season and lead pens of old fed lambs, however it did tail-off into a lot of plainer trade and light shorn lambs still being cleaned-out. The positive from the market was firm to dearer results for new season lambs and any good processing old lambs above 24kg cwt. There was price cuts of up to $20/head for secondary shorn lambs under 24kg as key domestic buyers switch their focus to new season stock. Small light Merino lambs were significantly cheaper in places.

The lead run of new season lambs, in fresh fat score 4 condition and weighing 26-30kg cwt, sold from $130 to $152 and averaged $144 at an estimated 525c/kg cwt, gaining $3 on a week ago. Key domestic orders were the volume buyers, also paying from $120 to $141 for 24-26kg pens which also averaged above 500c/kg. Medium and light new season lambs to processors $74 to $118/head. It is worth noting meat buyers were quick to pull back on any young lambs that didn’t handle 100pc for carcass finish or skin presentation. The few lighter young crossbred lambs to the paddock were dearer at $60 to $69/head.

One small penlot of extra heavy old lambs topped $166, the next best price being $155. Most export grade lambs $135 to $150/head. Domestic buyers did support some of the shorter skin fed lambs in the 24-28kg range which helped boost averages in certain categories. Most of the better style old lambs to processors were estimated at 400c to 460c/kg cwt. The market fell away on plainer trade and light old lambs which made anything from $39 to $115/head. Little Merino lambs sold down to $12/head. The price spread across secondary old lambs went from 100c for Merinos to 400c on trade sized crossbreds.

Sheep supply doubled and some excellent quality heavy ewes and wethers were presented. Bidding was at much lower levels as $15 to $30/head was taken off the levels of a week ago. Heaviest crossbred ewes $35 to $54, some big woolly Merino ewes to $60 and some export weight shorn Merino wethers at 35kg cwt for $54. Underneath this was a lot of trade and lighter sheep from $20 to $40/head. Mutton was estimated at 100c to 180c/kg cwt. There was sheep which sold below $10/head including most rams.

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