Prices steady as harvest concludes

Harvest is coming to an end across the Wimmera and Mallee and grain prices have fluctuated slightly since December.

While most export prices are slightly down compared to previous weeks, local prices remain steady, or slightly increased, for most grains.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry reported that Australian export prices, as of January 18, remained ‘relatively steady’ although they had dropped since harvest began.

Grain prices have risen between five and 30 percent compared to the same time last year.

Milling wheat exported at $516 a tonne, feed wheat sold for $467 a tonne and feed barley exported at $420 a tonne. Canola exported at $1058 a tonne.

In the Wimmera, AWB recorded bid prices for APW1 wheat last week were about $346; barley at $282; and canola at $679 to $677 a tonne.

GrainCorp recorded bid prices of about $344 for APW1 wheat, from $346 to $359.50 for barley and between $671 and $676 a tonne for canola on Friday.

In the livestock industry, lamb numbers at Horsham Regional Livestock Exchange are increasing into January.

On January 11, 3550 lambs and 2200 sheep were yarded while 6000 lambs and 1200 sheep were yarded on January 18.

Graham Pymer’s market report on Wednesday last week showed quality was good over shorn heavy lambs and most of the regular buying group attended, operating within a solid market.

Medium and heavy-shorn tradeweight lambs sold from $142 to $215, while heavier weights sold from $215 to $245 a head.

Light trade-weight shorn lambs sold from $136 to $170 a head.

Mr Pymer reported that most unshorn lambs showed dryness and lacked weight, selling from $140 to $214 a head. An extra-heavy weight pen sold for up to $238 a head.

Medium-weight sheep mostly sold from $79 to $110 a head, merino ewes sold for up to $130 and heavy crossbred ewes sold for up to $150 a head. Rams sold for up to $60 a head.