Muttons downward trend continued at Ballarat

Yarding: 37,280

Agents penned 25,500 lambs of mixed quality, the lead of heavy and extra heavy lambs presented in exceptional condition off feed, while other weight categories ranged from well covered lambs off feed to plainer and secondary lambs lacking condition.

The usual field of buyers were on the rail with extra store buyers, not all were operating in a market that opened firm to slightly cheaper then gained momentum half way through on the really neat well finished lambs in shorter skins. Light store lambs slipped $4 to $8, while the store lambs with more weight and shape sold firm to $5 better. Light trade sold firm to $6 cheaper, however there were dearer sales throughout the yarding for the better quality lambs with weight and shape. Medium trade sold firm to $3 better and heavy trade also sold firm to $4/head dearer. Export weights over 30kg sold to a top of $338, selling mostly firm while the 26 to 30kg lambs gained $6/head.

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Lambs back to the paddock made from $49 to $164 and lambs to feed on sold from $154 to $185/head. Light trade lambs under 18kg to suit MK orders sold from $111 to 173/head. Trade lambs 18 to 22kg sold from $159 to $196/head, 22 to 26kg sold $187 to $236, with a wide range of 760c to 920c to average 815c to 860c/kg cwt. Heavy export lambs 26 to 30kg made from $225 to $260 and over 30kg made from $268 to $338/head to average 740c to 860c/kg cwt. Merino lambs sold from $36 to $170/head.

Mutton numbers dropped to 12,271 penned. All the usual buyers were active in a softer market across the yarding. Merino wethers sold from $37 to $103 for the lighter weights while the heavier Merino wethers made from $92 to $150, slipping $12 to $30/head. Merino ewes sold from $45 to $140 for the light weights and the heavier weights made from $142 to $164, selling $8 to $18/head softer. Crossbred mutton sold from $54 to $134 for the lighter weights and from $130 to $202/head for the heavy weights. Most heavy weight mutton average from 480c to 550c/kg cwt.

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