Griffith Sheep Sale Report

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Report Date: 11th April 2025

Total Yarding: 15,900

Commentary

Lamb numbers lifted to 9550 head while sheep supplies dropped back down again. Not all the usual domestic and export orders were operating. It was back to reality for sheep which lost all of last week’s sudden price surge to return to the rates of a fortnight ago. In the lamb run buyers were selective around quality. The very best hard-fed export and trade lambs were firm, while the general run with less finish and appeal trended a few dollars softer. There was one less order operating on light processing lambs and these were cheaper with very plain quality and limited fat cover an issue at times for buyers.

One agency had a laneway of very well presented grainfed lambs which sold from $275 to a top of $294/head and which continued to track over 800c/kg cwt. Once onto penlots of heavy lambs with less polish the money was $230 to $265/head with many of these lambs estimated at 770c to 800c/kg cwt. The trade lamb run was also quality driven, the neatest lines above 800c to a peak of around 845c/kg, while plainer types varied from 720c to 780c/kg. Best heavy trade lambs $190 to $212/head. There was a lot of Dorper trade lambs which sold in a range of $163 to $203/head to average a ballpark 780c/kg. A line of very good heavy fed Merino lambs in a skin sold to $232/head, with the best trade Merinos from $180 to $204/head. Quality and condition was very mixed on light lambs under 20kg, tailing out into some very small Dorper and Merino lines. Reasonable light lambs $115 to $145/head for most. Very light and small lambs $30 to $80/head.

Last week’s very high mutton prices proved fleeting, with the market returning to a spread of around 430c to 530c/kg cwt. Heavy Merino ewes with a wool rebate $150 to $175/head; heavy Dorper ewes to $171 and crossbreds to $155/head. There was a lot more lighter conditioned ewes in this yarding which sold from $60 to $125/head. Very plain fat score 1 ewes $30 to $60/head.

Market reporter: Jenny Kelly