PRODUCERS fortunate to have new season sucker lambs at the ready are bagging the big bucks, before the influx arrives next month and steadies the market.
Forbes saleyards in the NSW Central West has offered sucker lambs for the past three weeks, with prices hitting $165 last week after a yarding of 1200.
Forbes Livestock and Agency Co director Randal Grayson said the quality of the 16-week-old sucker lambs - mostly off irrigation - had been very good and were sought out by processor Breakout River Meats, Cowra, and supermarkets Woolworths and Coles.
Mr Grayson doubted the butchers would pay much more than $165 for suckers, especially once numbers started to flow by Spring at Forbes and other centres.
He said producers were very happy with the outstanding sucker returns at the moment.
"If you are fortunate enough to be a breeder and getting a taste of this early sucker market it doesn't really get any better," Mr Grayson said.
"Suckers are as good a return as you will get from the lamb job."
Mr Grayson said the barrage of frosts in the region had slowed crop growth and producers had not had a chance to get an early graze.
"Some producers are feeding the suckers; they are weaning them and putting them on the crops and the ewes elsewhere. That way they are getting two to three weeks longer out of a crop with just suckers, whereas with the ewes the crops would only last a week to 10 days."
He said usually producers would get a draft of suckers off the ewes before they were weaned, but it wasn't the case for a lot of people this season.
Prices climbing
Sucker lambs started to trickle into the Wagga Wagga yards over the past fortnight, with the best money - $153 - paid last week for a draft that were estimated to weigh 24 kilograms dressed.
The week prior, lighter sucker lambs estimated at 20kg dressed made $141.60.
Selling agent Aaron Mackay, Delta Livestock and Property, Wagga, said sucker lambs were making excellent money, however, with so few on the market yet, the skin price was yet to be determined.
Mr Mackay said it would be a month to six weeks until more suckers hit the market at Wagga, then the skin value would be set, in turn setting the price platform.
The same buyers from Forbes operated at the Wagga market.
He said there are not many quality heavy crossbred lambs left in the system, however, there are still a lot of Merino lambs which have been selling at standout rates.
"Merino wethers that would normally be kept for woolcutters are definitely getting their heads cut off as they are worth about $160."
Norman C. Bellamy director John Bargwanna, Cowra, said they had offered about 700 good quality new season sucker lambs at the centre last Friday, with a draft of 100 head sold for $155 - about 600c/kg.
He said large drafts of suckers - about 2000 to 3000 a week - would hit the market at Cowra in August.
Ray White Emms Mooney director, Ben Emms, Blayney, said suckers wouldn't be offered at the Central Tablelands Livestock Exchange (CTLX) until September.
"The Tablelands are still covered in frost and we don't actually have that many producers lamb here in autumn as it's too cold," he said.
South Australian Livestock Exchange manager, Andrew Lepley, Dublin, said they had three pens of very light suckers that made $90 last week and those with a bit more weight made $132.
Mr Lepley said it would at least three to four weeks before there were any reasonable numbers of suckers yarded.
He said the season was going downhill pretty quick in the region and while producers weren't feeding at the moment, there was not much feed left in the paddocks.
"We need a decent rain as we even have producers struggling with water because there has been no wind to keep the windmills going."
Naracoorte Combined Agents Association chairman Jason Mahney said sucker lambs would slowly move onto the market at the centre in September.
"They might come in a bit earlier if there is no rain north of Naracoorte," he said.
Mr Mahney said the season was looking okay at present, but some areas needed more rain.