Tuesday daily sheep summary

This week at Dubbo, lamb throughput increased 56% to 23,120 head. Trade and heavy weight drafts continued to be well supplied, with a much plainer yarding on offer overall. Not all the usual buyers operated and secondary lambs were well represented, with those to processor orders easing in price.

Sheep consignments increased 46%, to 12,500 head. A fairly plain quality offering of mutton was penned this week, with well finished drafts limited.

• Light weight 2 score old lambs to restockers averaged 588¢/kg cwt
• Trade weight 3 score old lambs to slaughter were back 47¢, to 626¢/kg cwt
• Heavy weight 4 score old lambs averaged 51¢ cheaper, at 630¢/kg cwt
• Extra heavy weight 4 score old lambs eased 21¢, to 666¢/kg cwt
• Medium weight 3 score Merino ewes were back 8¢, to 396¢/kg cwt

Bendigo lamb numbers increased 38% this week, to 13,847 head. Quality over the general run of trade drafts was mixed, with a few pens of better conditioned heavy export lines on offer and the usual buyers operating. The seasonal shortage of good domestic slaughter types continued, with prices holding firm to dearer as a result.  

Mutton throughput declined 35%, to 2,499 head. The offering consisted mostly of crossbred and Merino ewes, with only the odd pen of wethers yarded.

• Trade weight 3 score old first-cross lambs were up 38¢, to 690¢/kg cwt
• Heavy weight 3 score old lambs to processors gained 28¢, to 689¢/kg cwt
• Extra heavy weight 3 score old lambs reached 717¢, averaging 672¢, up 25¢/kg cwt
• Medium weight 2 score Merino ewes were up 24¢, averaging 489¢/kg cwt

At the close of Monday’s markets:

• The eastern states restocker lamb indicator averaged 730¢, declining 24¢/kg cwt from the previous day
• Merino lambs averaged 596¢, up 2¢/kg cwt
• Light lambs averaged 631¢, back 8¢/kg cwt
• Trade lambs averaged 660¢, back 5¢/kg cwt
• Heavy lambs eased 2¢, averaging 670¢/kg cwt
• The mutton indicator finished 8¢ lower, at 432¢/kg cwt

For the full list of sheep market reports, please click here                                                 

Note: All yardings and prices referenced are from MLA reported saleyards.