Australia-Lamb market.

AUSTRALIA-Victoria weekly sheep summary

9/04/2009

Bendigo numbers jump

Despite Easter being later this year the consecutive shorter weeks either side of the holiday period usually yard lower numbers. At MLA’s NLRS reported markets, all selling centres penned lower numbers of sheep and lambs, with Hamilton on Wednesday the most effected. Both sheep and lambs were sold on Wednesday, with the two day format to resume next week and continue until numbers slow down. With no Bendigo sale being held on the coming Monday, producers opted to offload a fair offering of lambs that contained large numbers of plain lightweight lambs, that mainly sold to restockers. There was also a good supply of medium and heavy trade lambs at Bendigo, however heavy lambs were in lower supply and carried less weight on average, with extra heavy 4 scores sparse. Ballarat’s yarding was even more skewed towards the plain, lightweight end, with only limited supplies of well finished trade and heavy lambs.

All the usual buyers were present and operated under weaker demand at both Bendigo and Ballarat, with most dropping a few slaughter days over the coming week due to the public holidays on Friday and Monday. Hamilton’s yarding was effected by the Easter break approaching and a weaker market at sales earlier in the week. It was a plain yarding overall with mainly secondary runs, with lambs carrying heavy weight and good condition scarce. The buying field was noticeably depleted, with the absence of one major supermarket and several export processor buyers. Restockers also continued to underpin the market. Mutton quality was also plainer overall.

Softer market demand

With large numbers emulating out of NSW markets and a seasonal break needed in much of the southern part of the Eastern States, demand was weaker across all grades with heavy lambs taking the largest hit. Over-the-hooks rates began the week at firm levels, with prices mainly in the 450¢ vicinity for lambs and 218¢/kg cwt for mutton. These prices remain 33% above the same time last year for lambs and 20% higher for mutton. Restockers remained active at all with light 2 scores returning to the paddock for $60 – a fall of $1/head on last week and similar to the same time last year. Lambs between 12 and 16kg cwt selling to slaughter were $4 cheaper at $52 to $64/head.

Trade lambs limbed in value for the best 3 scores, due to the limited supply of these lines, to average 479¢/kg cwt. Heavy lambs averaged 477¢/kg cwt with the best lambs making to $140/head, which was lower than last weeks high.

The state mutton indicator slipped 7¢ to finish the week at 237c/kg cwt, which was still the highest of all states. Medium weight Merino ewes averaged 250¢ and wethers sold for 241¢/kg cwt.