Bendigo Sheep Report

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Report Date: 16th December 2024

Total Yarding: 23,162

Commentary

Heavy sheep gave the Christmas joy at Bendigo for the last sale of the year, gaining $10 to $20/head with big crossbred ewes to $164 and young Merino ewes to $180/head. Lamb price varied depending on quality, buyers favouring shorn lambs over the woolly young types still coming in. Some of the drier woolly young lambs were cheaper, while the best shorn lambs tracked a few dollars either side of last week’s price results. Overall the lamb market didn’t have the intensity of a week ago and there were signs some processors were not prepared to push the market any dearer than what it has been recently. The ballpark cost to processors was 850c to 950c/kg cwt for the best presented lambs, while the general run of trades and off woolly types were 750c to 850c/kg cwt.

The best heavy shorn lambs in the 26-30kg cwt range $239 to a top of $280/head. Heavy trade shorn lambs $220 to $236/head. Unshorn young lambs reached $252/head. There was a lot of unshorn young trade lambs which sold in a range of $166 to $215/head. Small lambs to the paddock firmed a few dollars, boosted by some good results for a few neat lines of crossbreds. The price range was $76 to $137/head to average $110/head to the paddock. Bigger framed lambs to restockers and feeders $140 to $156/head.

Export competition for a limited selection of heavy sheep was strong, and carried over into the big hoggets which sold to a top of $247/head. Big crossbred ewes $130 to $164/head, and heavy Merino ewes $118 to $180/head. Good lines of heavy mutton were estimated as costing processors 430c to 480c/kg cwt with individual pens higher at times. Competition was not so robust over lighter trade sheep which were often cheaper and sold below the 400c/kg cwt threshold at times. Lighter sheep mostly $60 to $90/head, plainest ewes down to $39/head.

NOTE: This was the final sale at Bendigo for 2025. The prime lamb and sheep sale will recommence on Monday, January 6, 2025.

Market reporter: Jenny Kelly