Australia-Lamb Prices.

AUSTRALIA-Victoria weekly sheep summary

3/04/2009

Bendigo numbers jump

With two consecutive short weeks approaching due to the Easter break, producers were keen to offload lambs and capture the current prices on offer, before cooler temperatures set in and feed supplies diminish further. Bendigo sheep and lamb numbers jumped significantly from last week, almost tripling for sheep and increasing 29% for lambs. Ballarat also yarded additional numbers of both sheep and lambs, and like Bendigo. Hamilton lamb supply was similar to last week and mutton numbers lifted close to 40%. Most vendors had lambs in prime condition, although there were not up to the quality of the lambs forwarded for sale 2 weeks ago.

Overall quality has begun to slip a little, with more 1 and 2 score lambs and mutton being penned. There appears to be a bit of a clean out of tail end consignments before the Easter break, which was a large factor behind the bolstering of numbers.

There were some good heavy lambs at Hamilton which hasn’t been seen in the past few weeks while Bendigo and Ballarat continue to yard a good number of lots over 26kg cwt. Restocker presence continues to underpin the lighter end of the market, both for lambs and wethers. At Hamilton, there are still a number of pens of wethers heading north to the Horsham district, many of which will be put out on crop stubbles and are potentially targeting the live export trade. Numbers of both sheep and lambs are anticipated to drop off following the two shortened trading weeks during April.

Varied market conditions

After the recent stronger market trends of the past few weeks, prices showed signs of weakening, under increased supply and a slight drop off in quality. Bendigo and Ballarat lamb prices sold at close to firm levels earlier in the week however rates at Hamilton slipped away as buyers captured adequate numbers to fill slaughter sheets. Restockers remained active at all centres and in places paid dearer prices, with light 2 scores returning to the paddock for $55/head. This was fully firm, as were the 12 to 16kg cwt lambs, which were purchased by restocker for $70/head, both of which had estimated carcass weight values of 444¢/kg cwt.

Trade lambs were 1¢ to 3¢ cheaper state-wide, at averages of 445¢ to 475¢/kg cwt. At the same time last year Easter was over and producers were receiving 361¢ to 367¢/kg cwt in a similarly cheaper market. Heavy lambs averaged 476¢/kg cwt with the best lambs making to $153/head, which was above last week.

Sheep prices were firm to $2/head cheaper. Medium weight Merino ewes averaged 230¢ to 260¢ and wethers sold for 248¢ to 260¢/kg cwt. There was one less buyer operating on the lightweight section at Ballarat which cased rates there to drop $5/head.