Anyone looking to buy lambs will tell you they have not exactly been easy to find this year, given that grass growth has been fairly consistent through summer and now into autumn. That means more farmers have chosen to hang onto lambs to kill or sell at heavier weights later on, leaving most sale yards devoid of any significant numbers with few paddock sales to soften the blow. If this was just limited to one particular area of the country then it might mean a bit more travel for buyers but it is a scenario that is widespread. Feilding does continue to put up volumes consistent with last year and five-year averages, helped by its large catchment area, while most other yards covered by AgriHQ’s LivestockEye reports are well down.
The effect is really starting to be felt in the South Island where prices took a lift. Numbers are very limited and demand is increasing as each blade of grass lengthens and cropping farmers join the fray. Obviously lambs offer the smallest outlay in terms of acquiring mouths but as far as $/kg prices go buyers are paying the same for lambs as they are for calves, with prices this week creeping up and over $4/kg live weight for long-term lambs at auction. Lamb prices improved from Coalgate through to Balclutha and all places in between and buyers were hard pressed to pick up even light lambs for less than $75.
The North Island looks set to pick up the trend too and certainly prices over the past week’s sales have shown good improvement.
