Dearer trend at Bendigo Sheep and Lamb sale - 18/12/2017
- By: "Farm Tender" News
- Ag Tech News
- Dec 18, 2017
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Yarded - 21,800
Lambs - 14,800
Sheep - 7,000
There was a slight increase in lamb numbers to 14,800 head for the final sale of 2017. Competition among buyers stepped-up as they tried to secure numbers ahead of Christmas and the market recorded a dearer trend across all weights and grades despite a mostly plain conditioned line-up of lambs. Price averages improved by $2 to $12/head, with the lighter weight lambs recording some of the best gains. The best quality young shorn lambs continued to sell for premiums. However, any odd pen-lots of a few head or any really dry wool lambs across the sale didn't always show a price lift on a week ago.
Prices reached a top of $237 for heavy export shorn lambs estimated at around 34kg cwt, it was one of five pens above $220, with another 5 sales at $200 to $218/head. After this the best drafts of heavy trade lambs in short-skins sold from $175 to $190/head for estimated carcase rates of 680c to 720c/kg cwt. The best price for young full wool lambs was $195/head for about 28kg cwt. The better quality drafts of full wool crossbreds in the 22-24kg bracket averaged $168 to be $6/head dearer than a week ago. Recording bigger price improvements were light weight and plain conditioned lambs, with pens in the 18-20kg range selling to $148 and averaging $137, to be up $9/head. There were some very strong sales of small lambs to both processors and restockers.
The sheep sale showed a cheaper trend. One key northern export order which had been underpinning heavy first-cross ewe prices didn't operate this week. Sheep averages eased by $4 to $12/head in a mixed result, as there were still some very strong sales of good trade weight mutton and lighter ewes to restocking orders.
Sales will resume at Bendigo on Monday, 8 January 2018
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