A Rodwells auctioneer sells a pen of sheep in the shadow of the new roof at Corowa Saleyards. Construction is expected to be completed in late 2022.
Photo by
Daneka Hill
The prices of last year are starting to look like the good old days as farmers weigh up the right time to sell their sheep.
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More than 10,000 sheep went through the Corowa Saleyards on Monday, August 15, with meatworks and agents snapping up the numbers.
Top price was $246 for some fat lambs, while the top price for old sheep was $178.
Corowa Saleyards manager David Coppolino said there was a price lift of $5 to $20 dollars on the last sale — which yarded 1600 less sheep.
“The price has been fluctuating the last three to four months,” Mr Coppolino said.
“Overall, the average price for lamb was $178 and for old sheep it was $138 on Monday.”
Semi-retired farmer John Frame attended the sale to inspect the prices.
“I’ve come to get an idea of the values. I might put something in next week,” Mr Frame said.
“They (the prices) went down a fortnight ago but they are bidding well today.”
There is a massive new roof on the way for the Corowa Saleyards and Mr Frame said it would be a big bonus.
“It will keep the sheep looking good. Presentation is everything,” the Springhurst farmer said.
“It’s like selling anything, you want it to look its best.”
Springhurst farmer John Frame is closing in on his 80th birthday and describes himself as “semi-retired”. “I feel lucky to be in pretty good nick and getting around,” he says.
Photo by
Daneka Hill
Brocklesby farmers Richard and Ava Koschitzke came to see their sheep sell.
“They did pretty good, about what we expected,” Mr Koschitzke said of the sheep price.
“We averaged about $126 for our dry old ewes.”
Mr Koschitzke said the lamb price had been coming down since the start of COVID-19.
“This time last year a heavy lamb would get $300, but today they are $225,” he said.
“I sold lambs for $170 in November when there were heaps about and they (lighter lambs) are still doing $170 today when there aren’t many at all.”
Ava and Richard Koschitzke. Mr Koschitzke says roof will be an excellent addition. “I was just saying to my daughter, I’ve been here buying sheep once and I got wet on three occasions. Then you bake in the middle of summer.”
Photo by
Daneka Hill
Paull & Scollard livestock specialist Dom Buntin said the sheep were selling well.
“The price was very hard to read there for a bit,” Mr Buntin said.
“It was all because there was an influx of numbers a couple of weeks ago.”
Meatworks have continued to struggle with output since COVID-19 started and they were unable to match the numbers — creating an unwanted glut of sheep.
Dom Buntin says the new roof will be fantastic. “Especially for the winter months with the rain and in summer as the concrete can get bloody hot here.”
Photo by
Daneka Hill
RIDING ON THE SHEEP’S BACK
Sheep prices had a very quick and wild ride recently.
On August 8, the Bendigo Saleyards saw one of its biggest week-on-week price changes ever.
For weeks the price had suffered multiple drops as supply outstripped demand — but on August 8 it bounced back.
One NSW property sent down little Merino lambs in both the August 1 and August 8 sales.
Their lambs jumped from $97/head to $115/head in the span of a week.
Good processing lambs gained $30 to $50/head, mutton lifted $20 to $60 and the heavy ewes and wethers had some of the best improvements ever recorded.
The Bendigo sale report said there were big price surges right across the yarding as supply remained low at less than 8500 head (1200 less than last week).
“Competition was keener although some processing orders were still absent and other buyers ended up mostly watching the sale as prices spiked significantly on a week ago,” the report said.
The August 8 sale also saw the first pens of fresh trade-weights appear, making $196 to $213/head.
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