THE first-cross ewe market continued to weaken at Corowa in NSW, with many sales $10-$20 a head cheaper.
The sale was cheaper than the last major store market in the Riverina a fortnight ago.
Lower returns for prime lambs and mutton, and the hot dry weather which has reduced the ability of farmers to take-on extra sheep, were blamed for the cheaper result.
Although the term “realistic’’ rather than ‘cheap’, is how most vendors and buyers described the sale which posted a top of $190 for joininable size first-cross ewe lambs, $236 for scanned in lamb ewes and $220 for scanned in lamb young Merino ewes.
Such prices, however, were a rarity and were a reflection of outstanding quality or the keenness of a repeat buyer to claim a certain pen.
The bulk of the yarding at Corowa comprised first-cross ewe lambs that sold in the $120 to $160 a head price range, with agents who had attended the recent Deniliquin store sale rating many of the middle run and plainer lambs as another $10 to $20 easier.
Victorian farmer Max McBurney paid $153 for 285 May/June 2011 drop first-cross ewe lambs, and said based on current trading conditions, it was a fair result for both buyer and seller.
“The lamb job is back a bit and it hasn’t rained – these sheep have come back to reasonable levels now,’’ he said.
The sale opened on the annual draft of Deepdene first-cross ewes from specialist breeders Russell and Daryl Clark, Wagga Wagga. The pen of 400 lambs, June/July 2011 drop, November shorn and OJD vaccinated, sold for $172 to Elders Bairnsdale.
An adjoining pen of 405 then sold on one bid for $150.
Later in the sale the third draft of Deepene ewes sold for $140 and $132, with auctioneers asking the Clark’s if the ewes were on the market at that money.
Russell Clark said while the prices were considerably less than 12-months ago, current conditions were dictating values and overall their ewe average was still OK.
“There’s been a lot of comparisons to last year, but I’ve never ever seen a year like that,’’ he said.
I think today’s sale is a reflection on the economy and cropping prices – people haven’t made a lot out of grain. Then there is the lamb market and people can’t pay a lot for ewes if they are not getting that big money for lambs.’’
Overall there was about half a dozen pens of ewe lambs, well grown and suitable to join immediately, that sold for more than $170 a head, topping at $190 for T&M Rhodes line of 142 April/May 2011 drop lambs that were October shorn.
After this the majority of sales ranged from $120 to $160, with some very plain and small lots of lambs selling down to $66.
Most of these lambs would have to be grown out over the winter before they could be joined in the spring, and some onlookers argued that it was still reasonable money considering it would be the middle of 2013 before they produced a saleable sucker lamb.
Elders auctioneer Steve Grantham said the tight feed situation had impacted on the smaller first-cross ewe lambs.
“Usually we get away with these (smaller ewe lambs) pretty well at this sale, but we rang and rang people and the message we got is that people are sick of feeding stock and just didn’t want to take them on at this stage.’’
There was limited numbers of joined ewes in the yarding, although buyers seemed more willing to outlay bigger money for sheep that offered a quicker financial return.
The sale’s top price of $236 was for 150 first-cross ewes, August/September 2010 drop and November shorn, that were scanned in lamb at 100pc to White Suffolk rams to start lambing in March. They were sold by by JC Batten Lancoorie at Oaklands.
The next best price for joined crossbred ewes was $194.
A similar trend emerged in the Merino section, with a couple of pens making good money while bididng for the balance of the ewes was fairly flat.
Selling for $220 was 169 June/July 2010 Merino ewes, December shorn and Willandra blood, that were SIL to Border Leicester rams for an early autumn lambing.
