There may be a slight correction in the market, but prices are likely to remain very strong.
If a grower has a price in mind that they would like to achieve, weight will be key – as it always is.
Breeders are in a great position but lambing has been slightly held back across the board.
This combined with a wetter season means the rush of supply will be delayed to a certain extent.
Green feed gives growers options and will enable them to finish lambs if they choose to not take the money early.
Shearing lambs before the onset of seed is imperative if they go down this path.
Don’t discount the market as an avenue of sale, we started at a very similar position last year and physical markets gained momentum as the spring went forward.
• Scott Jackson, covering north and central Wimmera:
It is definitely a year for the breeder and just reward for hard work in recent years.
Opportunities to buy in spring will arise, however store lamb supply may be limited due to young stock surpassing this category very quickly in favourable seasonal conditions.
It pays to think outside the box a little if looking to trade stock, for example, middle-aged ewes off shears to join and sell SIL, or merino ewes and wethers in the skin to shear and grow out on stubbles.
Looking further afield to source store lambs and earlier in the season has also been a common thought in an attempt to secure supply.
• Dusty Cross, covering West Wimmera and Northern Grampians:
A lack of sunshine and the wetter season is seeing stock remain on top of feed in some areas as we await the start of the spring flush.
For breeders with early drop lambs, assessments on stock and leaving top runs of lambs on mum until sale and weaning middle run of lambs off provides a bet each way in current markets.
This gives the option of selling top runs of lambs at their freshest with the second run better off being weaned at this point to grow out or to sell as weaned stores to buyers with excess feed, which is a hot market at present.
It also allows ewes to make a start on banking condition, either for sale or rejoining themselves.
There will be some exceptional stud stock on offer this year, along with a fantastic selection of ewes for our annual Edenhope First X Feature Sale.
Numbers look up and quality will be even greater than the usual standard of excellence as a result of the early feed curve on offer this season.
• Dale Dridan, covering Wimmera and West Wimmera:
It is as good a start to a season as can be remembered, with green feed available since March.
In 2025, the season did not come good until very late causing reactive decision making – this year we know there will be an abundance of feed, crops are looking solid and water is now much less of an issue than in recent times, therefore we can afford to be a little more proactive.
Opportunities to buy stock will come about through the spring, so it pays to be organised, ready to take advantage and buy stock that suits the environment they are going into.
All the ingredients will be there this spring to put weight on stock very quickly.
• Spencer Smith, AWN Horsham office:
We have been encouraging and helping all of our clients to have their back office requirements up-to-date prior to the upcoming busy period.
Ensuring your LPA and MLA accreditations along with your NLIS accounts are current, along with making sure your NVD books are the latest versions, and even trying out the ENVD App, makes for very smooth transacting of livestock.
If you have also changed any business or banking details, share farming or succession arrangements, notifying your suppliers and trading partners may just cause one less headache during a busy time.
The entire August 26, 2026 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!
