Sheep yardings lift after Easter despite some holding back quality lines

This Monday saw a notable increase in yarding numbers, partly attributed to the post-Easter holiday, which resulted in a missed week of selling.

At Bendigo, for instance, there was a yarding of 17,950 lambs, marking an increase of 4176 compared to two weeks prior, and one of the larger yardings in recent times.

Similarly, further north at Corowa, NSW, and Dubbo, NSW, there were several thousand more lambs sold on the same day.

At Bendigo, supplies were predominantly rated as fair to good, with a shortage of well-bred secondary lambs on offer.

This scarcity suggests that producers in the southern regions, where more feed options are available, are opting to hold off on selling, anticipating more-favourable price trends.

This cautious approach is likely influenced by widespread rainfall, fostering optimism for better market conditions in the near future.

Bendigo overall did witness a robust lamb market, with sheep taking centre stage and experiencing a notable uptick in prices.

Influenced by widespread heavy rainfall in the north, sheep sales saw a significant increase of $10-$30 a head compared to sales two weeks prior.

The biggest rise in the sale were for heavy Merino ewes and wethers which averaged 335 cents a kilogram carcase weight.

Lamb prices also saw a positive trend, rising by $5-$10.

Well-presented, shorter-skin lambs fetched premium prices amidst bursts of strong bidding.

However, woolly lambs did not gain as much support.

Trade lambs, particularly those that were well presented, reached a peak of 734c/kg.

On average, trade lambs settled at 657c/kg.

Heavy lambs were in high demand, fetching prices from $174-$243, averaging around 676c/kg.

The lamb market in Forbes, NSW, continued its upward trajectory, with prices rising $8-$12.

Strong demand from southern processors played a pivotal role in bolstering the trade market, resulting in price gains of $8 or more in certain instances.

The majority of trade lambs fetched prices ranging from $131-$167, averaging 687c/kg.

The market for heavy lambs remained buoyant, with buyers showing strong interest in grain-assisted lambs.

The top price reached was $234, with an average of 656c/kg.

The mutton sale didn't disappoint either, experiencing a surge in rates by $6-$18.

Trade sheep particularly stood out, trading between $51-$90.

Larger wethers averaged 355c/kg and reached a top of $128.