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WA weekly sheep summary
06 August 2015
Lambs
Widespread rain across most of southern WA over the last week resulted in a solid decrease in supplies this week. Falls of up to 100mm across the states southern half were the best for many months and have given producers added confidence.
- Muchea lamb numbers fell by close to 4,300 head with many again secondary and store Merino drafts.
Prime trade and heavy lamb numbers remain limited with most trade weight lambs again tail end drafts. Small numbers of new seasons lamb were available but quality was variable. New seasons lambs direct-to-works have been of good quality and include solid numbers of Merino drafts from eastern wheat belt regions.
Buyers from all sectors were present this week but some were not active. Prices for most lamb categories remained firm to marginally dearer.
- Lighter lambs suitable for the processor, air freight markets and feeders were around $3 dearer at $60 to $100/head.
- Light and store lambs to restockers, mostly Merino’s, sold between $30 and $70/head.
- Trade lambs lifted $3 and sold between $85 and $122/head to be close to 510¢/kg cwt.
Mutton
Ewe prices to processors were firm to $2/head dearer, largely due increased restocker competition. Wether prices were slightly easier with moderate export feeder and processor activity.
- Heavier 3 and 4 score ewes made $60 to $95/head to average close to 320¢/kg cwt.
- Most 2 score processor ewes sold between $55 and $75, with light ewes from $30 to $55/head.
- Restocker activity remained firm on suitable younger ewe drafts with prices between $45 and $85/head.
- Export weight wether drafts made $75 to $111/head to feeders and processors.
- Lighter conditioned wethers, mostly to restockers, made between $58 and $90/head.
- Ram lambs sold between $80 and $111, with live exporters and restockers paying $50 to $90/head on suitable drafts. Older drafts to processors made $50 to $75/head.
Note: All yardings and prices referenced from MLA’s National Livestock Reporting Service (NLRS) reported saleyards.
