WET weather has caused prices to dip at this week's Warwick sheep sale, however hogget prices enjoyed a slight up tick, reaching a top of $172 a head.
Hoggets only represented 77 head in the 1280 head yarded for last Wednesday's sale, but demand from wholesalers helped drive prices for the limited offering from the $172/hd top to a low of $22/hd for an average of about $132.
The category was significantly bigger than previous week's yarding of 37 and prices rose as a result.
Making up the majority of Wednesday's yarding was an influx of 919 young lambs, which was also well up from the previous week's offering of 657.
Quality differed across most pens, however restrockers looking for young lambs reached a top $130 and at an average of $113.
It was a similar story for feed weight light lambs, which sold to a top of about $142 and at an average of $131.
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Lighter lambs in the 20-22 kilogram weight range were in hot demand from butchers in attendance and reached a top of $191 to average $181 head, while the best trade weight lambs sold to wholesalers for a top of $190 and at an average of $182.
Overall, the 919 young lambs on offer averaged about $143.
The next biggest category of Wednesday's sale was the ewes with 189 head up for bids.
Much like young lambs, recent wet weather affected the quality of some pens and prices in some cases were reflected with most pens selling for an average of $72.
The average price was well back on the previous week's average of about $113, as was the category's high of $160, which was down from $182 from the previous week.
Old lambs followed suit, with weather affected pens selling for as little as $81 while some good quality runs sold for a high of $174.
Overall, most old lambs sold for about $151, which was firm on last week's average price of $152.
A yarding of 31 wethers drew mixed prices from buyers as again recent wet weather impacted the quality of some pens.
Prices in the category ranged from a $26 low to a top of $154 and at an average of $142, which was up from last week's average of about $117.
Rounding out the sale was a small yarding of 12 rams, which were in high demand from processors reaching a top of $132 and at an average of about $122.
Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
