These Merino ewe lambs weighed 27kg and were sold by a Kingston, SA vendor for $150.
Merino ewe lambs made up lost ground from last week, with the category averaging $177/head – up $14 from last week. However, clearance rates continue to be well below average for this category, at only 29% for the week.
New season lamb supplies registered a large contraction from the previous week, with a total of 63,525 head offered.
With the tighter supply, four of the six categories held firm or improved on last weeks prices, while the largest fall for the week was registered by shedding lambs.
Crossbred lambs accounted for 26% of the total catalogue this week, with 26,113 head listed. Prices ranged from $91-$185, to average $154/head, or 436c/kg liveweight. Despite a significant drop in numbers from last week, demand remained robust, as the category returned an 86% clearance rate.
Merino wether lambs held firm on last week, averaging $139/head. Despite a sharp contraction in numbers this week, demand softened, with only 59% of lines selling, as logistics proved difficult with widespread rain across many buying regions.
First cross ewe lambs sold from $160-$325, to average $250/head – up $24 on last week. Clearance rates slipped again for the category, with 61% of lines selling.
Shedding and composite/other breed lamb categories both registered lower averages than last week. Composite/other breed lambs saw a large offering this week of 15,093 head, accounting for 15% of the total catalogue.
Prices for the category averaged $159/head – back $4 from last year. However, demand was still high, with a 92% clearance rate registered – the highest across all lamb categories for the week.
Merino ewes and lambs had a small offering of 1,190 head this week, with demand remaining strong for the category, with a 94% clearance rate, as prices averaged $285/head – up $23 from last week. Joined ewe numbers continued to be sparse this week, with a total of 1,583 head offered across five categories.
All five Non-Station Mated ewe categories prices held firm, or increased from last week. Non-Station Mated Merino ewe hoggets totalled 9,244 head this week – 9% of the total offering.
While clearance for the category remained low at 49%, prices averaged $269/head- up $9 from last week. NSM Merino ewes had a total of 5,973 head listed, with the category averaging $226/head – up $27 from last week.
-AuctionsPlus