A dearth of demand from a small crowd had a negative effect on prices and clearance rate of a yarding of around 20,000 sheep at the May store sheep sale at Deniliquin, NSW, on Friday.
The Elders and Nutrien sale saw first-cross ewes sell to $190 a head and 2021-drop joined Merino ewes up to $180, reflecting uncertainty about a range of factors that weighed heavily on the minds of prospective buyers.
Elders auctioneer Jason Andrews, Deniliquin, said a lot of the ewes coming forward had been held over because of a very wet spring.
Mr Andrews said a lot of the sheep in the Riverina "didn't do well" and were "compromised" because of the season when some producers had not been able to get to the sheep.
"So [the vendors] had to shear them and the sheep were just getting knocked backwards," he said.
He said prices on the day were off a bit from what was expected.
"Still when you reflect on prices on AuctionsPlus it was very similar," he said.
"We were hoping it would be a bit better but at the moment we have plenty of green but no length and everyone is into sowing and don't want to worry about livestock."
Mr Andrews said their clients had surplus sheep, particularly from major vendor Cooinbil, Coleambally, NSW, and it was felt that lining them up in the saleyards was the best option.
He said those vendors had lambing coming up in the next few weeks and needed to make room and they had done the best that they could without compromising the next drop.
He said the scanned-in-lamb sheep sold well.
While processors were not on site some 700 lighter ewes, rising six-years-old, were bought for TFI for processing.
Mr Andrews said wether prices were at a level where buyers could take a punt to double their money.
"Wool prices are okay but it's more a fact of the cost of harvesting the wool, rather than wool not being worth enough," he said.
"It's anywhere from $10-$14 full contract to get it off - it's a significant cost."
He said the few first-cross ewes offered sold "circa" where the market was.
Major vendor Cooinbil sold 13,642 ewes and wethers.
Tops of their consignment was a pen of 455 Merino ewes, May/June 2020-drop, Poll Pooginook-blood, March-shorn, SIL to Dohne rams, that made $162, going to Young, NSW.
The same buyer paid $160 for a line of 436 with the same description.
The unjoined section of those ewes sold to a top of $108 for a pen of 145 and another pen of 519.
Another pen of 840 made $94.
Of the older ewes sold by Cooinbil was a pen of 229 April/May 2018-drop, SIL to Merinos, March-shorn, that made $120 to Nhill.
The same buyer paid $86 for 245 2017-drop ewes and $70 for 229 2017-drops.
Unjoined 2019-drop ewes sold by Cooinbil sold to a $80 for 206, while a pen of 161 2018-drops made $52.
Three pens of 207-drop ewes sold for $77 for 243, while 428 made $66 and 237 made $40.
Cooinbil consigned 9017 Merino wethers, non-mulesed, that included a draft of Merino/Dohne-cross, May/June 2022-drop, January-shorn, that sold to $80 for a pen of 251.
Two further pens, same description, made $64 for 894 and $44 for 688.
A pen of 880 Merino wethers sold by Cooinbil, May/June 2022-drop, January-shorn, made $65.
A big line of 2956 Cooinbil wethers sold in one sale at $46 going to Ouyen, while 2314 sold to a Deniliquin account for $36.
Further lines of 715 sold for $34 and 319 for $22.
There were only small numbers of first-cross Border Leicester/Merino-cross ewes offered with a pen of 241 April/May 2022-drop, November-shorn, sold by Bunderlong, for $190.
A second draft of 124 sold for $150.
Top of the Merino ewes was a draft of 99 June/July 2021-drop, August-shorn, SIL to Poll Dorset rams, sold by Burragan, Ivanhoe, NSW, making $180.
Another pen of 161 also made $180, both going to Bendigo.
The same vendor sold a pen of 260 unjoined ewes, same description, for $132, to Shepparton.
Hebronvale, Caldwell, NSW, sold a pen of 214 Merino ewes, June/July 2021-drop, that made $130 to Ballarat, and 268 wethers, June/July 2022-drop, March-shorn, that made $86.
A consignment from Claverley, Deniliquin, included 265 June/July 2021-drop, April shorn, SIL to Poll Dorsets, that made $124.
The same vendor sold a pen of 272 Merino wethers, June/July 2022-drop, March-shorn, that made $96 to Ballarat.
A second draft of 146 made $80, going the same way.
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Edward Park, Moulamein, NSW, sold 132 Merino ewes, 2020/21-drop, February-shorn, that made $128.
The same vendor sold a pen of 112, with the same description, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021-drop, for $136.
A pen of 195 Merino ewes, June/July 2020-drop, April-shorn, Willurah blood and bred, sold by Willurah, Conargo, NSW, for $128 to Yarrawonga.
The same vendor sold a pen of 150 ewes, June/July 2019-drop, April-shorn, for $100, and 105 2018-drops, for $90.
Mr Andrews said the next sale at Deniliquin would not be until spring.
He said a lot of breeder's sheep in the Riverina were set for Jerilderie, NSW, and Hay, NSW.
Elders auctioneer Matt O'Connor, Echuca, who sold the Elders wether portion, said there were some opportunities through the sale.
Mr O'Connor said the lamb job was unsettling at the moment and prices reflected that.
He said the wethers that sold were those that were bare shorn and ready to go without any work.
He said wethers that sold for $80 were "plenty of money".
He said those sheep were not as good as some but sold better because they didn't have the "fluff" on them that would need removing.
"It's an industry issue trying to get shearers and a labour force on farm," he said.
"There was a lack of confidence but we're probably only one good rain away from that confidence in what is a grass market for stores."
He said the wethers that were "inbetween" being not quite good enough to kill but also being June/July-drop and would start having teeth to show, would need the right care and right home to get a job done.
Irroy, Conargo, sold 672 Merino wethers, June/July 2022-drop, December-shorn, for $100.
A pen of 320 wethers, 2022-drop, sold by Mathoura Station, Deniliquin, made $90.
Petarob, Jerilderie, sold 265 Merino wethers, June/July 2022-drop, April-shorn, for $83.
Elders livestock agent Jarrod Dubignon, Ararat, put together a consignment of 542 Merino wether lambs.
Mr Dubignon said the client was looking for an easy-care option for their operation which was a "bush block" on the back of Ben Nevis.
"It's a steep rocky block with native grasses and the wethers do really well up there and always cut a really fine fleece," he said.
"I went for the mulesed sheep because of that and they also had a bit of a rebate on their back."
The sheep would be shorn and run until around this time in 2024, when they would be shorn again and sold.
Mr Dubignon said he wasn't surprised at the price levels.
He said some ewes sold above kill price while the lighter ewes were a bit below.
He said clients in his area were generally waiting to get cropping done before they went and purchased sheep.
