No restocker interest as Lamb prices fall at Bendigo

Yarding - 17,500 (+500)
Lambs - 14,000 (+1500)
Sheep - 3500 (-1000)

There was a lift in lamb numbers to 14,500 while sheep supplies declined to a low 3,500 head. There were some very well fed lines of heavy lambs available. However, there was a lot of mixed quality types in the trade and light lambs. Consistent fat cover and finish remains an issue for many lambs being sold off grass after the dry autumn. Two major export companies didn't operate and other regular buyers were quiet.

There was virtually no restocking interest on light lambs and price falls of $5 to $15 were recorded over a lot of the lamb yarding with some of the best trade pens up to $20/head cheaper after selling strongly at Bendigo a week ago. The best pens of 24 to 26kg heavy trade lambs made from $199 to $214/head. Lambs 22 to 24kg made from $188 to $200/head and averaged 780c to 790c/kg cwt. The normal run of plainer trades, including the Merino run, averaged from 730c to 780c/kg cwt.

There was a large spread of prices for heavy export lambs over 30kg, making from $231 to a top of $294/head.

Mutton was the highlight of the market, with carcase averages for quality sheep lifting above 700c/kg cwt. The mutton sale was driven higher by a handful of export processors who were chasing numbers, with other buyers just watching on. Heavy sheep sold to animated bidding to reach a top of $294 for big crossbred ewes with a lot of sales between $220 and $250/head. Heavy Merino wethers made from $200 to a top of $249/head

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