Bendigo Sheep Report

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Report Date: 7th July 2025

Total Yarding: 17,052

Commentary

Big day at Bendigo for lamb as the best processing stock keep getting dearer to a new national saleyard record of $435/head. The price was for a pen of extra heavy grain feed lambs estimated at 40-42kg cwt which were part of a line of 375 second-cross lambs out of a Swan Hill feedlot which averaged $424/head. Overall 7 pens of heavy export lambs sold over $400/head in this sale. The price trend was dearer for the best quality processing lambs as they become harder to find in these wintery yardings as more clean-up tail-end drafts come through. Plainer and mixed lambs sold at similar rates to a week ago. On the demand side not all buyers were active with some shut for winter maintenance or operating at reduced capacity. Of note was some very strong domestic orders for neat lambs in the 23-28kg cwt range which recorded some of the highest carcass rates of the sale at 1200c/kg plus.

Most export lambs from $330 to $390/head with just the 7 stand-out extra heavy pens from $400 to a top of $435/head. Heavy 26-30kg cwt lambs from $286 to $335, with domestic buyers active as they pushed up into bigger weights to access quality. Best trade lambs $250 to $310/head. The estimated cost for runs of quality processing lambs was 1050c to 1150c/kg with select trades over 1200c/kg. Plainer wintery lambs and light lambs mostly 900c to 1050c/kg cwt. Decent light lambs mostly $150 to $200/head. Fed Merino lambs sold to $254/head and pens displaying shape and fat cover were well supported at over 1000c/kg.

The sheep sale had a weaker trend for price outcomes which were just firm to $5 to $20/head off. Not all exporters were active on heavy ewes, most big meat ewes from $200 to $245 to a sale top of $260/head. Best Merino ewes $177 to $238. Most trade sheep $130 to $175/head; light ewes $90 to $130, plainest down to $60/head. The estimated range for mutton was 650c to 750c/kg cwt.

Market reporter: Jenny Kelly