NUMBERS climbed to a whopping 43,000 head, which was 20,000 more than the previous week at the Wagga sheep and lamb sale on Thursday.
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According to Meat and Livestock Australia’s National Livestock Reporting Service (NLRS) there were good supplies of heavy lambs along with increased numbers of trade lambs.
Well-bred store lambs attracted strong competition from a smaller gallery of store buyers and price levels dipped for the plainer conditioned types.
The usual export and domestic buyers were in attendance.
The trade market lacked the intensity of last week and prices were generally back $5/head over most categories.
The bulk of trade lambs made from $129 to $176/head to average 651c/kg cwt.
Store lambs with weight and frame sold to strong demand making from $95 to $144/head.
Light lambs to slaughter sold from $112 to $128/head, with processors struggling against restockers to acquire numbers.
Heavy lambs were well supplied and competition was patchy at times. Not all processors were willing to push the market. Heavy lambs sold $8/head cheaper to average 642c/kg cwt. The bulk of the heavy and extra heavy lambs sold to fluctuating sales which caused prices to slip $12 to $15/head.
The bulk of the extra heavy lambs averaged 625c/kg cwt.
A highlight in the sale was a pen of Merino wether lambs estimated to 29kg cwt, which sold to a top price of $204/head.
The market sold to mixed price trends, with Merino sheep aided by the strongest competition.
Heavy Merino ewes sold up to $21 dearer, making from $144 to $204/head to average 528c/kg cwt.
Heavy crossbred ewes sold to weaker demand averaging 516c to 537c/kg cwt.
Medium grades were keenly contested selling at $110 to $152/head.
Light sheep were in limited supply averaging 446c/kg cwt.
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