PRICES are tipped to be strong but not record-breaking at southern Australia's premier first-cross ewe sales at Naracoorte starting next week.
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While the top has come off prices in the past few weeks, first-cross ewes, 2009-drops, with lambs-at-foot still made to $300 at Wycheproof, Victoria, last Thursday.
In the past few months, increasing numbers of sheep being bought from Western Australia have contributed to an easing of prices in markets across the State.
Until Tuesday, the total number of sheep through the Ceduna Quarantine Station from WA for 2010 was 732,070.
Locusts have also been thought to be a factor in recent price drops, particularly for some Victorian Mallee buyers, who are reluctant to outlay money in case grasshoppers come through and they have to sell ewes on again.
While Merino ewes sold for a South Australian record of $261 at a clearing sale at Snowtown in March and at Pinnaroo off-shears in mid-September ewes sold to $244, at a Warrawee Park sale in October Merino ewes made to $226 and at the last Jamestown sale Merinos reached $168.
Last year at the Naracoorte first-cross sales 1.5-year-old ewes topped at $237 averaging $187 and ewe lambs made to $204, av $137. The record price at Naracoorte was $248 in 2005, an Australian record at the time.
Southern Australian Livestock general manager Bruce Redpath said he expected prices would be a bit stronger than last year.
"Last Thursday Pitlochry Station first-cross ewe lambs made $140 to $188.50 on the screen (AuctionsPlus) so I'm expecting prices will be a little bit stronger than last year," he said. "For ewe lambs that can be joined, the very top record price might be broken. But I don't think 1.5yo prices will break records."
Mr Redpath said demand should be "fairly good" but he hoped rates were not extreme.
"If ewes average a bit more than last year, producers will be pleased," he said.
The Naracoorte first-cross ewe sale will be held on November 11, with ewe lambs to be sold on November 18.
Mr Redpath said the current yarding stood at 57,500.
A total of 39,000 ewe lambs would be sold, 500 up on last year, with 1.5-year-old ewes dropping back in number to 16,000.
Breeding ewe numbers were still low at 2500, up 500 on last year, but down significantly on the nearly 5000 that were sold in 2008, with many already sold over-the-hooks.
Mr Redpath said prices for old ewes that had already been traded had been good, so changeover prices for younger ewes would not be too bad.
He said ewes would be yarded from Lameroo and the South East, including Penola, Naracoorte and Keith and expected buyers to attend from western Vic, southern parts of Gippsland, southern SA, the Yorke Peninsula and Eyre Peninsula.
Elders Naracoorte livestock manager Tom Dennis said the quality of first-cross ewes would be excellent because of the season.
"It will be a very solid sale," he said. "Anything that is joinable, that can be mated, will make a strong sale."
