Australian Livestock Auction Sales Drop

SYDNEY - Apr 18/08 - SNS -- Livestock sold through online auctions managed by AuctionsPlus Pty Ltd dropped during the past week.

Throughput for the week totalled 33,149 sheep and lambs, versus 47,116 head during the previous week's auctions, and 3,897 head of cattle, compared to 3,618 last week.

"Sheep and lamb numbers fell off this week," AuctionsPlus' Dean Lemmich said. "Lamb shortages are looking more of a reality now than they were, and of course mutton sheep supplies are going to be tight also. Reasoning this way is predicated on beneficial rainfall occurring, however if it doesn’t it will be an ugly winter and the currently building national sheep flock is going to be decimated yet again.

"Cattle throughput remained steady . . . but that was the only thing steady about it. Last week we believed the market 'hung in' when it should have been falling; this week it was a moral to go down given reports coming in all week, anything but.

"Numerous black steers in the north and North West of NSW made from 205c to 217c/kg, and a line of under 200kg steers made to 233.5c/kg. Heifer portions of the weaner steers made from 172c to 191.8c/kg. Pregnant heifers were static on last week’s rates and were hard to sell. The confidence being shown at present is admirable and one hopes well founded."

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