THE interruption to markets caused by Easter Monday and the Anzac Day public holiday has made this trading week extremely short.
It has certainly affected overall lamb numbers and tightened supplies for both domestic and export processors, strengthening prices in NSW, while Victoria showed an easier trend.
Prices last week reached levels not seen for a long time – particularly for mutton – on the back of an early autumn break through NSW and Victoria.
The trade lamb market continued to track at higher levels, with trade lambs lifting 10 cents a kilogram to rest at 574c/kg carcase weight, while heavy lambs gained 16c/kg to average 604c/kg.
Compared to the corresponding week last year, Meat & Livestock Australia reported trade and heavy lamb prices had risen 49 per cent, while mutton was a staggering 132pc higher year-on-year to average 346c/kg cwt.
And store sales have also continued to improve, generating higher dollar returns for producers, with prices reaching an outcome more favourable thank a month ago.
This has seen better competition in physical markets as buyers try to purchase lambs or younger ewes for paddocks expanding with feed and opportunity.
Even with the early autumn break, quality has become a bigger issue at lamb markets in past weeks. This, surprisingly, has had very little impact on weakening demand across trade and lightweight categories in northern markets.
Trade lambs 18-22kg lacking freshness or plainer in quality were quickly snapped up by lotfeeder buyers, providing no gaps for processors to discount plainer-finished drafts.
The same theme is also playing out for lightweight lambs, which have come under fire in recent weeks from both processors and restockers, and as a result, prices have surged by as much as $12-$15.
A lift in demand and a shortfall in numbers helped push lamb prices higher at Forbes, NSW, on Tuesday.
Better-conditioned and finished lambs commanded premium prices across the trade and heavy export categories due to the very short week.
A lot of it was quality-driven on the well-finished and grain-fed drafts but plainer pens did find plenty of demand from lotfeeders.
There was good competition on well-bred second-cross lambs from local trade and major domestic processors and most trade weights sold $7-$8 higher, av 632c/kg cwt.
Heavy lambs met strong demand from both domestic and export buyers, boosting prices $6, while extra-heavy lambs gained $10-$13 to average 618c/kg cwt.
Merino lambs were the stars of the show, with buyers paying $27-$34 more for trade weights.
Merino lambs 20-22kg made $130-$144, while heavy trades topped at $155.
Mutton numbers lifted and so did prices, with heavy sheep selling $18-$27 higher as all buyers scrabbled for adequate supplies.
Lightweight sheep gained $15 to av 379c/kg cwt.
Demand at Ballarat was steady for a reduced offering of 17,550 lambs and 5143 sheep.
The National Livestock Reporting Service described the yarding as having good runs at the top end of each agent's draft but said quality faded out very quickly.
There was not the urgency in the market before the Easter break and prices were firm to a few dollars lower.
Medium trade lambs sold $5 easier, while heavy trade were firm to $3 off the pace to av 609c/kg cwt.
Heavy lambs were in short supply and lacked weight, with only six pens selling for more than $180.
Extra-heavy lambs sold up to $11 cheaper and made $165-$190.
Mutton prices were unable to sustain last week's higher trend and were $8-$11 softer.
Merino wethers in big skins sold to a top price of $130; the better-quality drafts av 380-420c/kg cwt.