IF the sheep and lamb sale draw is to be a guide Wagga is going to have it’s biggest market on Thursday.
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Vendors have indicated they will sell 70,800 head.
The record high figure comes on the back of drought conditions and soaring prices for lambs. In the past draws for the Thursday sale have been as high as 64,000.
Wagga Livestock Marketing Centre (LMC) manager, Paul Martin said if Wagga gets 70,800 sheep and lambs tomorrow it will be a record.
“It would be the largest sheep and lamb sale the LMC has seen,” he said.
Mr Martin said the livestock were drawn from a 600-kilometre radius of the centre.
Despite the kudos of running such a big sale there was also the concern that many of the livestock were being offloaded due to dry conditions.
“I’m sure some vendors have had to make the decision to offload as a result of their specific circumstances in relation to the dry spell,” he said.
In recent times the LMC has generated a large proportion of the Australian record prices for extra-heavy lambs and suckers.
And prices have climbed even higher in the past week with vendors setting a new record at Dubbo of $344 for extra-heavy lambs.
“I think record prices … are justifiable returns for the vendor’s efforts (in) presenting them for sale,” Mr Martin said.
“The cost to produce these lambs has to be factored in to the record prices as well, the figures are high on both sides of the equation,” he said.
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Rural journalist with Fairfax media based in the Riverina.
Rural journalist with Fairfax media based in the Riverina.
