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AuctionsPlus sheep break $400 in first MLA report
04 February 2021
Key points:
- AuctionsPlus’s Tuesday sheep sale saw 65,295 head yarded
- Central west NSW was the largest purchasing region for the day
- Trend continues with western producers selling to the east.
For the first time the National Livestock Reporting Service (NLRS) reported on the AuctionsPlus national sheep sale that took place this Tuesday, revealing key insights into the workings of the online ‘saleyard’ – Australia’s second largest centre for livestock transactions.
In the Tuesday sale, 65,295 head were offered. The largest purchasing region was central west NSW, who took 15,649 head – recent rainfall and confidence in the sheep market have fuelled an incentive to restock in the region. Of these purchases, Merino ewes and lambs accounted for a third of all stock, while another third was the contribution of crossbred lambs.
All categories performed well concerning prices, with the highlight being a sale-topping price of $467 for crossbred hoggart ewes.
Other price highlights include:
- A top price of $405 for large-framed crossbred joined ewes aged 3–4.
- Medium-framed Merinos (1–2 years old) achieved a high of $236 and a low of $105.
- Crossbred lambs achieved a high of $371, with a low price of $127.
The sale data also reveals a continuing trend of WA producers offloading stock to eastern states as they wait for an improvement in seasonal conditions, with NSW buyers purchasing 9,012 head from the west.
The first week of reporting has demonstrated that online sheep sales currently hold a price premium to physical saleyards of 34% – however, this does not account for freight and other associated costs of online purchasing.
The NLRS is now covering AuctionsPlus’s Tuesday sheep sales and Friday cattle sales. For a detailed report of Tuesday’s sales across all categories, see here.
© Meat & Livestock Australia Limited, 2021
