![AuctionsPlus regular WA sheep sale had 1300 merino ewes on offer last month, including a line of 900, 27-28 month-old 67kg woolly Strath Haddon blood ewes which sold for $175/hd to Victorian buyer. AuctionsPlus regular WA sheep sale had 1300 merino ewes on offer last month, including a line of 900, 27-28 month-old 67kg woolly Strath Haddon blood ewes which sold for $175/hd to Victorian buyer.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/9kyzP9Zutm5XFVsqvLWUBX/35824168-7bfa-4cd7-ae65-707c6b80fbd9.jpg/r39_0_763_407_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
SHEEP and lamb numbers crossing South Australia’s Ceduna quarantine checkpoint from Western Australian has increased nearly 100 per cent month-on-month since July, as eastern states’ demand for livestock hits fever pitch.
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Numbers travelling to the eastern states increased by more than 100pc last month, according to Agriculture, Food and Wine Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) figures due to increase competition at the saleyards, on-farm sales and AuctionsPlus by eastern state producers.
PIRSA reported a spike in livestock numbers in August with the highest monthly total seen since mid-2013 when 20500 sheep and lambs were purchased in WA and travelled east through Ceduna.
This was an increase of 161pc when compared to July when only 7,876 head were moved.
September trade figures climbed a further 92pc month-on-month with 28,704 sheep and 10,702 lambs transported.
Demand continued to strengthen through October when with 16,109 sheep and 27,419 lambs were recorded heading east in the first two weeks of the month.
Elders livestock manager Tom Marron, WA, said demand had been widespread from processors, breeders and restockers.
“We had about 100,000 sheep head to the east in 2011 but the sheep population was a lot higher, whereas it’s now a bit lower but proportionally it is a similar percentage,” Mr Marron said.
WA’s sheep flock is 14.2 million sheep and turn off is about 5.7m sheep and lambs for meat and live export annually, according to the Department of Agriculture and Food WA.
“There is only a number of ewes available in each state and everyone is having a good season in the eastern states and looking to restock coming following an average season (last year),” Mr Marron said.
“Prices are attractive to a point but when you add the freight and do your homework, it is about getting quality lines that attracts buyers to the West.”
Buyer pressure from eastern states’ producers have instigated AuctionsPlus to interface with several commercial sheep sales in the past six weeks, resulting in more than 30pc of the offering purchased by eastern state producers online from five WA sales.
A Victorian producer purchased 70pc of AuctionsPlus’ regular WA sheep sale, acquiring a line of 900, 27 to 28 month old 67 kilogram woolly Strath Haddon blood ewes sold for $175 per head.
Over 1000 Merino 2-4 year-old Merino ewes purchased from Kalannie WA this month headed east, averaging $123/hd.
Eastern states’ demand influenced the rise of $30-$50 on last year’s prices at Elders Corrigin and Elders Wickepin sheep sales this month which had 5,675 predominately Merino ewe hoggets on offer. They ranged from 15 to 19 months old, and sold from $80 to a top of $164, with an average of $142.
Buyers logged in online from Barcaldine, Queensland, Trangie, Condobolin, Yass, Jerilderie and Deniliquin, NSW, Echuca, Ballarat, Birchip, Benalla, Bendigo, Wycheproof, Victoria, and Naracoorte, SA.
On Friday, the Katanning sheep sale averaged $117/head for the 2515 offering of 14-20 month old Merino ewe hoggets with one quarter bound for the eastern states.
“The demand in the Eastern States has been so high, we have seen young unjoined Merino hoggets sell for $210 and $220,” AuctionsPlus Tom Rookyard said.
“Growers are looking further to find the right stock, we have seen this online with South Australian producers buying breeding ewes from Queensland.
“The cost of transporting sheep across must still be lower than the current demand in the Eastern States.”
“When you get a year like this, where there is limited stock numbers down the eastern seaboard and the season is good, factors marry up to justify the cost of freight (about $30/hd) to buy young sheep,” McKean McGregor livestock agent Alex Collins, Bendigo, Vic, said.
Mr Collins said young Merino ewes purchased from WA were about $140-$150 which were equivalent quality to ewes fetching $200/head at eastern sales.
“They worked out to be $20-$30 cheaper when you add freight than over here so it is about balancing what they’re worth here and seeing whether you can save the restocker a few dollars,” he said.
However with the lamb prices softening in recent weeks at eastern sales due to the spring supply and WA sale’s remaining firm, Mr Collins said demand would slow.
“Store sales have also cooled off while theirs have gained $30/hd in the past three weeks so it will come to an end now,” he said.