VENDORS offered 42,270 sheep and lambs at the Wagga market on Thursday.
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According to Meat and Livestock Australia's National Livestock Reporting Service numbers offered were marginally higher this week.
Trade buying activity was significantly weaker for old lambs while the 7,500 new season lambs also lost momentum, fueled by weaker domestic competition.
Select pens of shorn old lambs weighing 22-24kg were keenly sought but at lower price levels than the previous sale.
Longer wool old trade lambs were discounted severely. Heavy and extra heavy lamb numbers declined and competition was patchy throughout the sale causing a massive price variation for lambs weighting over 25kg.
There were mixed supplies of lighter weight lambs, with most selling to a smaller field of processors.
The trade lamb market continued its cheaper run, with old trade lambs easing $17 to $30/head. The top price recorded for 22-24kg was $216/head with the bulk averaging from 760c to 820c/kg cwt.
New season trade lambs did attract a larger group of buyers however price levels were adjusted by $12 $15/head to average 866c/kg cwt. Heavy new season lambs eased $12/head to average 877c/kg cwt.
Merino trade lambs sold to enthusiastic bidding for the correct types to average 780c/kg cwt. Light lambs to the processors sold to weaker southern competition making from $113 to $146/head.
It was the usual field of export processors in attendance. Generally heavy lambs weighing from 24-26kg decreased by $28, while extra heavy lambs were $32 cheaper, to average from 772c to 802c/kg cwt. It was another magnificent yarding of mutton with very few plainer sheep in the offering.
Price gains have been recorded for all categories from lighter weights through to heavy sheep classes. Heavy sheep regularly sold over $200/head to average from 584c to 617c/kg cwt.
Heavy wethers were in good numbers recording a top price of $227/head, to average 668c/kg cwt. Trade and light sheep were limited, selling from $101 to $163/head, averaging 620c/kg cwt.
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