WE ARE now into the first month of spring and lamb figures have declined, according to Meat & Livestock Australia's (MLA) National Livestock Reporting Service, easing 13 per cent week-on-week, with the tighter NSW supply attributing to the loss.
This was for the most part evident at the Wagga Wagga, NSW, sale on Thursday, with Thomas Food International, Tamworth, NSW, a major buyer on the day across trade and heavy lamb categories.
Warren Fraser, a northern commission buyer, said: "Because of the dry conditions, the Tableland suckers had finished earlier than usual, placing pressure on companies to move further south in order to secure fresh new season lambs."
The Wagga market offered 14,650 new-season lambs, giving buyers an opportunity to reduce prices slightly with the knowledge there would be 11,600 penned at Griffith, NSW, the following day.
Demand at Wagga was steady, with both major supermarkets operating and JBS Swift entering the tussle for new-season lambs.
As the market progressed, prices softened $1-$2 a head for heavy trade weights and heavy lambs while the light and medium trade lambs sold to fully equal rates.
Trade old lambs were plainer than at the previous sale, with prices slipping back $3-$4 to average 402 to 410 cents a kilogram carcase weight.
The largest fall for the day was seen for extra-heavy old lambs, with only a few buyers operating, resulting in prices declining up to $11, av 400-410c/kg cwt.
The dry conditions further north aided strong results in the mutton market.
Fletchers International and the Wallangarra abattoir, Qld, entered the fray on medium and lighter-weight sheep, which helped drive prices up $12, while heavy grades improved $6.
By Friday at Griffith, prices were on the downturn for new-season lambs, easing $3-$6, av 454c/kg cwt, for heavy trade drafts.
Heavy new-season lambs were in greater numbers and slipped $5, av 440-455c/kg cwt.
Old lamb prices varied greatly depending on their quality and finish, with most sales $5-$10 cheaper.
Possibly the most conflicting trend of the past week was seen at Ouyen on Friday.
New-season lamb prices were firm to $8 higher, with strong demand from supermarkets and southern store buyers.
New-season trade lambs averaged 430-470c/kg cwt while the export category sold at 400-430c/kg cwt.
A total of 14,505 lambs and just over 8000 sheep sold at Bendigo on Monday, with numbers backing off a little.
Similar to the previous week, quality for the 9000 new-season lambs was mixed and the market trend for trade and export categories was firm to $3 softer.
Heavy 3- and 4-score trade weights sold at $83-$121, av 420-480c/kg.
Heavy 4-scores over 22.5kg fetched $113-$133, av 420-460c/kg cwt.
Store values for new-season lambs improved, with Ballarat agents acquiring drafts of well-bred secondary lambs.
Governed by the suitable line-up of well-bred secondary lambs, prices lifted up to $9, reaching a top of $90.
In the mutton market there was a large percentage of ewes and wethers off-shears.
Demand was stronger, with prices lifting $3-$8 for medium and heavy grades, av 194-218c/kg cwt.
Lamb numbers declined further at Ballarat on Tuesday with agents penning only 3435 lambs and 1956 mutton sheep.
The smaller offering contained mostly poor 2-score trade old lambs, with limited drafts of new-season lambs.
New-season trade lambs fetched $100-$114.
Old-lamb prices showed mixed trends, with heavy old lambs easing $7-$8 while trade old lambs sold firm to $6 dearer.
Most of the mutton penned was off-shears and prices lifted $5-$10, av 194-213c cwt.
