While this week’s Easter holiday distorted the market by disrupting regular Monday supplies, there’s speculation that things could remain in a holding pattern if the season improves.
The interruption to markets due to Easter holiday break made this trading week short, affecting lamb supplies in Victoria and New South Wales.
Forbes had a greater representation of numbers due to extremely dry conditions, with agents penning 26,900 lambs and 3350 sheep.
Tight supplies for domestic and export processors strengthened prices across trade categories, with some of the better finished pens showing a $6 price rise.
Heavy lambs slipped $6 to average 645¢/kg cwt.
A lift in demand and a shortfall in numbers at Ballarat helped push prices up to $5 higher on Tuesday.
National Livestock Reporting Service (NLRS) noted the lead drafts of trade lambs in each agents run remained very good.
Better conditioned and fresh trade lambs commanded premium prices to reach a top price of $185.
The bulk of the trade making from $145-$183, with plenty of quality pens hitting the 700¢/kg cwt mark.
Another positive trend was Merino lambs (18-20kg), which jumped significantly, selling at $105-$140 to average 628¢/kg cwt.
The greatest competition was for light lambs, which sold to a mix of processor and producer bidding at $90-$121. Store lambs 16-18kg averaged $133.10. Heavy export lamb prices improved.
While this week’s Easter holiday distorted the market by disrupting regular Monday supplies, there’s speculation that things could remain in a holding pattern if the season improves.
Heavy lambs 26-30kg spiked $5, making from $188-$210.
Lamb weighing over 30kg cwt sold at $204-$240 to average 653¢/kg cwt.
In the mutton run, all buyers were present and operating keenly in a dearer market.
The greatest lift in rates was for plain light weight ewes, where prices jumped $21, selling from $75-$108 to average 508¢/kg.
Heavy crossbred ewes sold $6 dearer, selling at $102-$158.
Merino trade sheep averaged 497¢/kg cwt.