STRONG demand has led to high expectations ahead of today's blue ribbon first-cross ewe sale in Naracoorte and next week's first-cross ewe lamb auction, with predictions national records could fall.
In the past week, prices have reached a previously unseen $448 for 1.5-year-old Border Leicester/Merino ewes at Bendigo, Vic, while the first-cross ewe lambs reached $444.
Expectations are for 16,000 to 20,000 of the breeding ewes to be on offer today with about 35,000 ewe lambs to be yarded next Thursday.
Pinkertown Palm Hamlyn & Steen director Richard Harvie said prices at Naracoorte were traditionally $5 to $15 higher than at Bendigo.
"I'm predicting we'll see prices of $450-$460 for the real extra top end (of the 1.5-year-olds) and see most ewes sell between $370-$410," he said.
While there were a number of first-cross ewe lambs sold early this season, due to feed availability at the time, Mr Harvie said this should not have too much of an impact on the yarding size, and most of the usual Vic vendors were also still in play.
He said the high prices on display in the first-cross market were largely driven by the mutton market.
"The trade-in price for those older ewes is really pushing the price for young ewes," he said.
He said the bulk of today's breeding ewes would likely stay local but next week's ewe lambs would likely gain more eastern states interest.
"With the current mutton price and current lamb prices, it is a perfect storm for breeders and the work they put in," he said.
"I am confident we're going to see Australian records in both the 1.5-year-olds and ewe lambs."
Southern Australian Livestock agent and Naracoorte combined agents chairman Will Nolan was also optimistic of good results, tipping prices to reach $430 for the better lines.
With border restrictions still in play, the decision has been made to run the sale in conjunction with online selling platform StockLive.
"It's important we give people not able to attend the option to buy online," he said.
"A lot of Victorians buy stock out of Naracoorte, while NSW has had such a good season, we're making sure they have the ability to buy stock out of our area."
With the current mutton price and current lamb prices, it is a perfect storm for breeders and the work they put in.
- RICHARD HARVIE
Mr Nolan said a catalogue of all the lots, including all their information, could be viewed at the site ahead of time, while the sale itself would be livestreamed with vision and sound, allowing people to bid from home in real time, but pre-registration was necessary.
"The stock are in good condition and Naracoorte has got a high reputation of putting together a great line of stock and there is no reason to think it won't be a strong sale, but still providing everyone with what they've had in the past," he said.
Elders Naracoorte agent Josh Reeves believes there is a lot of potential to access new buyers with the use of StockLive.
"It is in play to help our traditional Vic buyers, but it also gives up the best possible opportunity to market our stock to new areas and new buyers," he said.
With "consistent and sustained" good prices for lamb in recent months and strong returns on cast-for-age ewes, as well as good availability of feed locally and restocker demand interstate, he said there were plenty of reasons for good returns in first-cross breeding ewes and ewe lambs.
"The good season, not just in the South East but further afield, means people have got feed and they need sheep," he said.
"The sheep are presenting in very good condition, and I think it will be a strong sale, much in line with what's happening around the country."
Last year's first-cross 1.5-year-old ewe sale exceeded expectations to set a then-national record of $402, breaking the record set just hours earlier at Edenhope, Vic.
SPINKS FAMILY OPTIMISTIC AFTER GOOD FEED YEAR
A FANTASTIC season highlighted by surplus paddock feed has Naturi lamb seller Kevin Spinks confident of good results at next week's Naracoorte first-cross ewe lamb sale.
Kevin, with sons Michael and David and brother Brian, has been selling ewe lambs and the occasional draft of 1.5-year-olds at the blue ribbon sales for a decade.
This year there's feed, feed and more feed and the sheep are looking fantastic as a result.
- KEVIN SPINKS
After a tough start to last season impacted their numbers sent to Naracoorte, Mr Spinks was expecting to have their customary 900 lambs on the truck to Naracoorte this year.
"We only sold 480 last year," he said.
"Because of the drought, we'd cut our ewe numbers right back.
"Once the drought had gone, last season was also magnificent from June onwards, so we didn't have many lambs but they were really good.
"This year there's feed, feed and more feed and the sheep are looking fantastic as a result.
"Despite the dry July, it never got to the stage where they were in a paddock which didn't have feed."
The family source their Border Leicester rams from the Morton and Inverbrackie studs and Mr Spinks said the majority of this year's lambs were in the 40 kilogram to 50kg weight range and shorn in the first week of October.
The family offloaded a handful of 1.5-year-olds at Mount Pleasant's first-cross sale and Mr Spinks expected that - where 1.5-year-olds made $398 - to be a good indicator of what would happen at Naracoorte in the next two weeks.
"Naracoorte should be similar or better to last year, I would have thought," he said.
- Details: stocklive.com.au
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