LAMBS sold from $10 to $20 above pre-sale expectations at another highly-successful Elliston and Streaky Bay On Farm Circuit Sale on Wednesday last week.
Consisting of 30 vendors and 12 stations from Sheringa to Streaky Bay, the sale saw 20,003 sheep and lambs offered and sold with new season Merino ewe lambs topping at $146, crossbreds making $142 and wether lambs reaching $137.
Merino ewe hoggets sold to $230, with a line of 2.5-year-old ewes making $190.
The majority of the yarding were new season Merino wether lambs, which met good buying demand from statewide and interstate clients.
Major buying support came from the Elders network, with large orders from Jamestown, Dubbo, NSW, Tumby Bay, Eudunda and Keith.
Other agencies including Quality Livestock Port Lincoln, Eyre Peninsula Livestock, Spence Dix & Co Mallala and Hill Livestock Crystal Brook were active on behalf of clients, while trade buyers and EP graziers capped off a big buying crowd.
Elders Cummins' Steve Davidson said recent rains had injected confidence into the market, with results $10-$20 above expectations.
"The concept of big lines of vendor-bred lambs in attractive and when you put together a sale of 20,000 head it gives people a lot of buying options," he said.
"Quality was very good given that we had a drier than normal July. August made up for it and kept the freshness in the lambs.
"All the vendors should be congratulated on how they prepare their feed and animal health programs towards presenting their lambs in such good condition."
Topping the Merino ewe lambs at $146 were 300 Collandra North-bloods from DE&MA Sires, Elliston, which sold to Elders Jamestown. Another line of 226 from the same vendor sold for $132 to the same buyer.
The Sires also sold 181 Collandra North-bld Merino ewe hoggets at $230 to PM Puckridge, through Elders Cummins, and 125, 2.5yo ewes at $190 to DR&AV Callary.
Selling 170 Greenfields-bld ewe lambs for $135 to Nutrien Jamestown were LM&RJ Kenny & Sons, Colton, while NM&DS May, Elliston, offloaded 201 Minta/Mulloorie-blds for $130 to MacDonald Operations, through SAL Tumby Bay.
The majority of ewe lambs, 30 kilograms to 40kg liveweight, made between $126 and $146.
There was strong competition on the shorn lines of the 14,208 wether lambs, with the top price of $137 reached for 392 August-shorn, April-May drop, Minta/Mulloorie-blds from NM&DS May.
Equalling that $137 top price were two separate lines of 507 April-May drop, Greenfields-bld woolly wether lambs from LM&RJ Kenny & Sons, which both went to Elders Cummins.
The top-priced wether lambs were in the 35kg-40kg bracket. Those weighing 25kg-30kg made between $84 and $106, 30kg-35kg wether lambs made $100-$116 and 40kg-45kg made $116-$127.
GV Hull Nominees, Mount Cooper, sold 250 wether lambs at $132 to Glynnard Pty Ltd, through Elders Roseworthy, and a further 53 at the same price to Corryton Park, through Elders Eudunda.
SL&RJ Agars, Tungatta, Sheringa, received $129 for 559 May/June drop, Collandra North-bld, wooly wether lambs.
Crossbreds also met good demand, with 378 White Suffolk cross lambs from PM Puckridge selling at $142 to Elders Cummins and a line of 266 from LM&RJ Kenny & Sons making $136.
Courtabie Pastoral Co, Port Kenny, received $135 for 110 crossbred lambs from Wudinna Meat Store and making the same price was a line of 311 from Calca Pastoral, Streaky Bay, sold to Glenora Ag, through Elders Streaky Bay.
Quotes from Elders had 25kg-30kg crossbred lambs at $119, with 30kg-35kg lambs making $123-$131, 35kg-40kg making $126-$142 and 40kg-45kg making $134-$135.
The yarding for this year's On Farm Circuit Sale was more than 6000 head up on 2019 and Mr Davidson said the concept had proven popular with both buyers and vendors.
"It was a huge success and is growing every year," he said.
"It's building up a strong name and reputation for presenting quality lambs."
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