Easter squeeze: how tighter sheep supply has pushed key indicators upwards

The latest sheep and lamb yarding data reveals a notable tightening in supply over the past four weeks, driven largely by the shorter Easter processing week and the associated reduction in market throughput. Subscribe now for unlimited access to all our agricultural news This seasonal disruption has temporarily constrained offerings across saleyards, contributing to firmer pricing outcomes and reinforcing the underlying strength evident in the sheepmeat market. Sheep yardings have declined across several key producing regions, highlighting the impact of the abbreviated processing schedule on supply flows. In NSW, sheep yardings fell from 71 per cent in the February to March period to 38pc between March and April, signalling a sharp contraction in throughput. Victoria recorded a similar trend, easing from 25pc to 20pc, reflecting tighter availability and reduced marketings. Western Australia also experienced a decline, slipping from 60pc to 46pc, indicating that supply in the west ...