The Dubbo effect

Livestock | 13th September 2021 | By Matt Dalgleish

The Snapshot

  • NSW sheep and lamb yardings were down 46% and 35%, respectively as the impact of the Dubbo saleyard closure was felt.
  • Lower NSW sheep and lamb volumes pressured the east coast ovine throughput. East coast lamb throughput is 6% under trend, meanwhile sheep are 31% below trend.
  • NSW cattle throughput reduced 32% over the week to register just 8,498 head, the lowest weekly yarding since mid-June.
  • East coast cattle yarding recorded 35,310 head for the week ending 10th September, just 10% softer than the previous week’s offering.

The Detail

As previously outlined the Dubbo saleyard is the fifth largest in the country for cattle sales and the sixth largest for sheep and lamb sales. Therefore, its somewhat unsurprising to see a significant impact to throughput volumes with the centre being closed due to a Covid-19 exposure for two weeks.

NSW lamb yarding levels to the week ending 10th September saw a 35% decline on the week prior to see 93,674 head offered for sale. This is the first time weekly lamb throughput in NSW has moved under the five-year average weekly pattern since mid-June, with current volumes sitting 6% below the seasonal average trend.

NSW sheep yardings saw a larger magnitude fall on the week, easing 46% from the previous week’s volume to see just 22,100 head of sheep yarded. This places sheep throughput at nearly half the levels that could be expected for this time in the season.

The much weaker NSW sheep and lamb yarding levels put pressure on east coast throughput numbers too. East coast lamb yarding dropped by 31% on the week to register 135,801 head, which represents levels that are 6% under the five-year average pattern for this week in the season.

East coast sheep yarding volumes came in at 45,323 for the week ending 10th September, which was a 34% drop on the week prior. Weekly sheep yarding volumes on the east coast are now back at levels seen this time last season, running 31% under the five-year average pattern.

NSW cattle throughput reduced 32% over the week to register just 8,498 head, the lowest weekly yarding since mid-June. Compared to the five-year pattern cattle yarding levels in NSW are currently running nearly 57% under trend.

Above average cattle volumes in Queensland helped support weekly east coast cattle throughput, offsetting some of the lower NSW offering. East coast cattle yarding recorded 35,310 head for the week ending 10th September, just 10% softer than the previous week’s offering. Current east coast cattle throughput levels are running 26% below the five-year average pattern for this time in the season.

Tags

  • Throughput
  • Cattle
  • Sheep
  • Lamb