MURRAY BRIDGE
Yarding: 4130
New-season lambs to $244
Bidders and spectators at the Murray Bridge prime lamb sale on Monday were pleasantly surprised to see lambs in excellent condition despite the tough conditions producers have been grappling with this season.
Lamb numbers were slightly more than expected at 4130 head according to Elders Murray Bridge livestock agent Paul Keynes and buyers were keen to source the quality, new-season lambs on offer, pushing the market’s top price to $244.
“Restockers were also happy with the lambs they secured and a lot of those at the lighter end will return to the paddock and grow out,” he said.
“Bidding was very competitive and the big processors were driving it because of the shortage of quality lambs at the moment.”
Landmark Murray Bridge livestock agent Kevin Keller said “extremely good” lambs were penned for the first prime lamb sale.
“Considering the season we have had producers were very pleased with the lamb freshness,” he said.
“Yarding at the next market should be similar and we are hoping the quality is the same too but, the issue is whether entire drafts of lambs are even in quality.”
The top price of $244 was from Inglebrae Holdings, Callington, the pen of 40 crossbred lambs were sold to Thomas Foods International.
Robinville, Murray Bridge, sold 48 at $230 to TFI, and Binnowie Downs, Coonalpyn, sold one of the larger lines, 117 at $214 to TFI.
Simmons Farms, Coomandook, sold 83 crossbred lambs for $200 to TFI, while JA Pfitzner, Point Pass, sold 60 at $200 to TFI.
At the lighter end of the sale Hansen Farms, Coomandook, sold 74 for $184 to JBS Australia, and Bormann, Karoonda, sold 110 for $182 to JBS.
Lighter lambs continued to perform well during the sale with 87 lambs from Batten Partners sold to TFI for $175.