National Lamb record ($435) and lot of smiling faces at Bendigo

Yarding - 17,052

It was a significant day at Bendigo for lamb prices, as the best processing stock reached a new national saleyard record of $435 per head. This price was for a pen of extra heavy grain-fed lambs, estimated at 40-42 kg cwt, which were part of a line of 375 second-cross lambs from a Swan Hill feedlot, averaging $424 per head. Overall, seven pens of heavy export lambs sold for over $400 per head during this sale.

The price trend for high-quality processing lambs is on the rise as they become increasingly scarce in this winter season, while more lower-quality, clean-up drafts are coming through. Plainer and mixed lambs sold at similar rates as the previous week. On the demand side, not all buyers were active; some were closed for winter maintenance or operating at reduced capacity. Notably, there were strong domestic orders for neat lambs in the 23-28 kg cwt range, which achieved some of the highest carcass rates of the sale at over 1200 cents per kg.

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Most export lambs sold for between $330 and $390 per head, with the standout seven extra heavy pens ranging from $400 to a top price of $435 per head. Heavy lambs weighing 26-30 kg cwt sold for $286 to $335, with domestic buyers engaging in the market to secure quality at higher weights. The best trade lambs sold for $250 to $310 per head. The estimated cost for quality processing lambs was between 1050 and 1150 cents per kg, with select trades exceeding 1200 cents per kg. Plainer winter lambs and lighter lambs were mostly priced between 900 and 1050 cents per kg cwt, while decent light lambs ranged from $150 to $200 per head. Fed Merino lambs reached prices of up to $254 per head, and well-shaped pens with good fat cover were well supported at over 1000 cents per kg.

The sheep sale showed a weaker trend, with prices generally firm but down by $5 to $20 per head. Not all exporters were active on heavy ewes, with most large meat ewes selling between $200 and $245, topping out at $260 per head. The best Merino ewes ranged from $177 to $238, while most trade sheep sold for $130 to $175 per head. Light ewes were priced between $90 and $130, with the plainest selling for as little as $60 per head. The estimated range for mutton prices was between 650 and 750 cents per kg cwt.

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