Mutton the big improver at Bendigo

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Yarding - 20,742

Mutton was the big improver in this sale, prices $10 to $20 dearer across a bigger yarding of 7330 sheep. Heavy crossbred ewes $50 to $65, and Merino ewes with size and a bit of skin length $60 to a top of $75. Although it was in the light sheep run where processor competition intensified with even the plainest lots selling above $30/head. The ballpark cost to processors for an average run of mutton was 170c to 220c/kg cwt.

The talking point for lamb was the big drop off in numbers, down to 13,400 head or 7000 less than the previous Monday. Not a lot of quality or weight was available again and quite a lot of the young unshorn lambs showed signs of having dried off and displayed minimal fat cover. Three key domestic processing orders remained absent and other orders were quiet. It was a different group of buyers this week due to Hamilton in the Western District starting its split run of sales, selling lambs of a Monday and Wednesday in the lead up to Christmas. Lamb prices overall were similar with just movements of a few dollars either side of last week’s results. Heavy woolly young lambs $140 to a top of $164/hd at an estimated 480c to 520c/kg cwt. Heavy trades $122 to $146 with best crossbreds trending at 510c/kg cwt. General run of young lambs in the 20-24kg cwt range from $90 to $120/hd

Restocking competition continued to strengthen, and some nice lines of recently shorn crossbred lambs were up to $8 dearer to the paddock. Unshorn store lambs were also dearer. Most store sized lambs showing reasonable breeding and quality made $50 to $88 per head, with a top of $104 paid for a pen off shears with a tradeweight frame. Buying support was from Wycheproof, Horsham, Shepparton, Echuca, the local Bendigo area, plus a new order from Griffith in NSW.

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