Supermarket style Lambs showing the best gains at Bendigo

Total yarded - 43,981

Tighter supply of 13,000 lambs, with Merinos accounting for a reasonable percentage of the yarding. Not as much weight or quality as a week ago, with neat trade lambs scarce. Competition was keener, with all the regular buyers back in attendance and showing interest in acquiring a few more numbers. Prices lifted by $5 to $15/head, with supermarket style lambs showing the best gains. The market was still erratic at times. Merino lambs continued their strong price performance, although after last week's very dear market for this breed, they didn't show as much improvement as some of the crossbred lambs.

The heaviest export lambs over 30kg cwt sold from $230 to a top of $278/head, with the estimated carcase cost lifting to 765c/kg cwt. Heavy lambs, 26 to 30kg, which had been struggling for support at recent sales, sold to much better processor interest at $216 to $243/head at an estimated 780c to 800c/kg cwt over the main runs. Neat domestic lambs in the ideal range of 21 to 25kg were eagerly sought, pushing the best pens from $188 to $214/head or well above 800c/kg cwt. A NSW agency from Wagga Wagga came down south again for store lambs, paying from $150 to $175/head. Export weight Merino lambs in a big skin sold to $259, with most heavy and trade pens from $180 to $220/head. There were Merino lambs recorded above 800c/kg, for a ballpark average of 770c/kg cwt for the better finished types.

Only a small yarding of sheep, the feature being several good lines of Merino wethers which were dearer. Heavy crossbred ewes were just firm at a top of $212/head. Heavy Merino wethers selling from $185 to $235/head at an estimated cost of 695c/kg cwt.

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