Deniliquin Sheep Report

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Report Date: 17th June 2025

Total Yarding: 7,300

Commentary

Numbers lifted to 5200 lambs and 2100 sheep, drawn out by the high winter money on offer. It was another very strong market, posting the best carcass price rates for lamb Deniliquin has seen as it matched the dearer money achieved across the industry in the past week. There was also a new price high of $311/head for this selling centre. All the regular buyers were active plus some extra support from an exporter which doesn’t always operate at these smaller winter markets. The lead of the crossbreds were handy quality with no export weighted lambs above 30kg cwt on offer. Making up the numbers were some lines of lighter Merino lambs and late drop Dorper store lambs. Competition for light lambs, particularly plainer Merinos with little fat cover, wasn’t as heated compared to the better processing lambs above 21kg cwt which were keenly sought by buyers.

The lead drafts of crossbred lambs $268 to a top of $311/head. Best tradeweights $226 to $268/head, with Dorpers in this run selling to $235/head. Plainer trades with less weight $190 to $220/head. Most of the better presented processing lambs trended between 1000c to 1100c/kg cwt, with select pens higher to around 1150c/kg on occasion. Light lambs tended to be a bit more hit and miss in regards to buyer support and price, ranging from an estimated 800c to just over 1000c/kg depending on quality and number in a pen. The higher priced light lambs tended to have more shape and fat cover. A run of small and light Merino lambs varied from $50 to $125/head, with some bigger framed Merinos to $150/head. The main lines of young Dorper lambs $105 to $148/head to restockers.

There wasn’t a lot of weight in the sheep offering this market, and any heavier mutton received strong export interest at up to $263 for forward conditioned Merino ewes with no skin; heaviest meat ewes $200 to $240/head. Leaner trade sheep $130 to $170/head, with the lightest ewes down to $70/head. Mutton tracked either side of 700c/kg cwt with heavier mutton achieving the best carcass rates.

Market reporter: Jenny Kelly