WA trails eastern states lamb prices

While rainfall in WA has been ‘below average’ for the last three months, saleyard lamb prices in the west have tracked very close to their eastern states counterparts.

For June:

• The WA restocker lamb indicator was 113¢ higher year-on-year, to average 551¢/kg cwt
• Merino lambs gained 159¢ on year ago levels to settle on 624¢, while light lambs increased 118¢, to 604¢/kg cwt
• The WA trade lamb indicator lifted 156¢ year-on-year, to 656¢, while the eastern states average was 661¢/kg cwt in June.
• The heavy lamb indicator was 151¢ higher on 635¢/kg cwt

Saleyard lamb numbers continued to grow in June with the dry conditions across the state driving producers to turnoff stock, while taking advantage of strong prices. Average weekly lamb saleyard supply in WA was 5,000 head higher year-on-year, at 16,000 head.

The average weekly slaughter so far for June is 39,143 head, about 10,000 head less than the same time last year. Sheep and lamb slaughter typically eases in July, due to a number of plants taking their annual routine maintenance breaks.