A TOTAL of 46,860 sheep and lambs went under the hammer at the Wagga market on Thursday.
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According to Meat and Livestock Australia's National Livestock Reporting Service there was a strong presence from stock agents who were keen to fill orders from the large supply of suitable light lambs.
All of the regular field of buyers were present with stock agents and feedlot buyers active along with an additional northern processors on the trade and export mutton creating some extra competition.
Trade weight new season lambs were very limited with processors keen to participate on the small offering. Light and medium trade weights 18kg to 22kg gained $8 selling between $140 and $170, with the heavy trade 22kg to 24kg lambs making between $168 and $180, averaging 725c/kg cwt jumping $4/head.
Heavy lambs to the domestic and export buyers sold to easier trends making between $180 and $191/head.
A good offering of lambs weighing more than 26kg and suiting the export processors were available, however, skins were showing significant dryness.
They sold between $192 and $243, easing $5/head. Light weight lambs to the processor sold to mixed trends with the 12kg to 18kg lambs selling between $102 to $139/head.
The strong yarding of light lambs going to restockers were making between $92 and $141 and the better weights reached up to $158/head. Feedlot buyers paid between $132 to $156 for the better portion of light lambs paying up to $5/head more in places.
Shorn lambs were keenly sort after by export processors with jumps of $10 to $15 selling between $240 and $264/head, averaging 783c/kg cwt. Overall it was a mixed quality yarding of mutton with an additional northern processor adding some further competition.
Mutton generally eased $5 to $10 across all weights and grades with heavy crossbred ewes making between $160 and $236, averaging 614c/kg cwt and 4 score Merino ewes reached $200/head. Heavy wethers sold to $220/head, to average 613c/kg cwt. Trade and light sheep sold from $91 to $150/head.