Bendigo Sheep Report

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Report Date: 12th May 2025

Total Yarding: 11,899

Commentary

Numbers declined to 7349 lambs and 4550 sheep, but the drop in supply didn’t have a huge impact on the sale with not all buyers operating fully. Best lambs with weight and fat cover were firm to $10/head dearer, a pen of exports topping at $305 but these were the biggest and best fed lambs Bendigo has seen for awhile at around 38kg cwt. Plainer and light lambs were mostly $5 to $10/head easier and it was a mixed yarding with a lot of clean-up like pens of small numbers appearing. Lambs under 23kg cwt that lacked shape and breed quality tended to have mixed results with not as much store buying activity at this market. Sheep were cheaper.

Most export weight lambs $250 to $285/head. There was more consistent demand for the heavy 26-30kg cwt lambs at $210 to $270/head and the carcass rate average for this grade lifted. Overall the trend for quality crossbred lams was still 800c to 860c/kg cwt with some weight categories just pushing higher within this range. Plainer and lighter processing lambs mostly 740c to 800c/kg cwt. The off-the-top trade lambs $155 to $180/head. Best MK lambs with some style $130 to $163; mixed and light lambs $70 to $125/head. Wasn’t a lot of weight or finish in the Merino run this week, a few fed pens at $170 to $220/head but a lot of light and plain conditioned types at $60 to $130/head.

The sheep market retreated again, a lot of sales $15 to $30/head cheaper. Heavy mutton with fat cover still had the best support at $150 to $203/head but noting exporters weren’t keen to chase the market. A lot of trade and light sheep sold from $70 to $140 head and within this was some big lines of Merino wethers that had frame size but lacked condition. Most mutton categories averaged below 500c/kg cwt.

Market reporter: Jenny Kelly