Griffith Sheep Sale Report

Numbers increased substantially on the previous weeks’ low offering, lifting back up to 9300 lambs and 5600 sheep as dearer price trends emerged in the market over the past 7-days. It was a very strong sale, all categories tracking dearer and the yarding recorded an average of $277 per head for all lambs and sheep sold – nearly $20 better than a week ago and the best average since early August, according to saleyard data. In the lamb run quality varied from excellent down to fair, with some of the new season lambs showing dryness and some seed in the skins. There was some recently shorn young lambs which presented well. All the regular buyers plus some extra southern support operated in a market that consistently tracked over 1100c/kg for slaughter lambs for estimated averages of 1140c to 1160c/kg over the main trade to heavy categories. The market top was $426 for grainfed heavy export lambs, while new season crossbred lambs with weight reached $381.20. Mutton and hoggets also had highlights including up to $372/head for big meat ewes.

About a dozen pens of export weight young lambs estimated over at 30kg cwt and better sold from $344 to a top of $381/20/head. After this there was a lot of new season crossbred and Dorper lambs in the 26-30kg cwt range which sold from $288 to $335 the neat pens consistently selling above $300/head. A quality pen of unshorn Merino lambs sold to $303/head. The medium trade weight young lambs $250 to $285/head, and a trend worth noting was the supply of new season lambs under 22kg cwt was fairly limited with not much to suit restockers or feeders. The better framed lighter lambs $200 to $245/head.

A stand-out line of grainfed lambs in short skins sold at $426 and $417 to be estimated well into the 1100c/kg price range. The majority of the old season lambs also tracked over 1100c/kg cwt in this sale.

It was an impressive yarding of sheep and hoggets with the majority presenting in prime condition with plenty of weight. A lot of sheep and heavy two-tooths made over $300/head, with two exporters chasing out a small pen of big meat ewes to a top of $372.20. Ewes will less finish and weight mostly $200 to $260/head. The estimated cost for the bulk of sheep was 820c to 930c/kg cwt.

Market reporter: Jenny Kelly