Bendigo Sheep Report

All data provided by 

Report Date: 22nd April 2024

Total Yarding: 13,030

Commentary

Big pullback in lamb numbers with just 7430 yarded, half the supply of a week ago. Agents said farmers didn’t want to sell into a short week with the Anzac Day public holiday on Thursday, especially after a difficult and cheaper sale here last Monday. The most significant cut to supply was in the light lamb categories, with a lot less plainer conditioned lambs under 22kg offered. Prices did strengthen for all categories of lambs today. Light lambs gained up to $20/head, while trade and heavy slaughter lambs were $10 to $20/head dearer. This pushed most of the good trade and export slaughter lambs back up into the 665c to 690c/kg range, with just occasional bounces over 700c/kg for really well presented shorn tradies.

Export lambs over 30kg cwt sold from $210 to a top of $236 on less weight than a week ago. Most of the lead pens of crossbred lambs were in the 26-30kg cwt range and sold from $165 to $223 at a ballpark cost of 670c/kg cwt. Heavy trade lambs $156 to $177/head and there was some price spikes in this category that helped take the overall average to around 680c/kg cwt. Limited numbers of light lambs helped support the market at $80 to $130 for the better bred lines under 22kg cwt. There was a stand-out pen of heavy Merino lambs in a skin which sold for $180, but light Merinos lacking fat cover and weight still struggled at times.

Sheep numbers remained similar at 5600 head, agents suggesting the dry conditions were influencing supply. The mutton market opened strongly before it settled down Most sheep made an estimated 250c to 290c/kg cwt, with some early sales over 300c/kg cwt. Heavy crossbred ewes $80 to $121; good Merino wethers $76 to $106; and Heavy Merino ewes to $114. Overall the majority of sheep still tracked between $40 and $80/head.

Market reporter: Jenny Kelly