The first two weeks of winter has commenced in stark contrast to autumn with modest rainfall throughout the NSW Border region and Victoria. Producers who were fortunate to sell at physical markets last week were paid premium winter prices.
The price improvements have been achieved despite conditions in NSW dire as little rain has pushed north.
By the end of last week the standout features of all this was seen at Wagga Wagga and Griffith, both in NSW markets, where prices jumped $5-$10 per head across a large range of lambs.
A feature of the Wagga market was heavy lambs when buyers clashed on all pens over 30kg carcass weight, which resulted in numerous drafts of lambs selling above $220 with the top pen hitting $247.20 late in the sale.
Buyers suggested the lift in trade rates was not a one off event at Wagga owing to the limited supplies of contract lambs and diminishing numbers of well finished types sold at physical markets.
The better finished shorn lambs smashed through the 700c/kg barrier effortlessly topping at 720c/kg cwt.
National Livestock Reporting Service (NLRS) said demand from feed lots, processors and restockers strengthened as all sectors looked to accumulate lighter weight lambs creating a rate lift in most classes.
Lambs numbers increased at most markets on Monday as farmers move to capitalise on price rises of the past fortnight.
The lamb market at Corowa responded with strong price trends on Monday in a bigger yarding of 11,777 lambs. Trade lamb prices lifted as much as $11 with plenty of sales above the 700c/kg cwt. Heavy lambs gained $6 topping at $231 to average 637c/kg cwt.
At Bendigo plainer quality kept a lid on any big lift in trade rates. Trade lambs sold firm to $4 dearer averaging 670c/kg. Heavy lamb prices surged $9-$21 making from $176-$227.
Lamb prices continued to strengthen at Ballarat on Tuesday under pressure of the mixed quality offering of 17,396 lambs and just over 6,142 sheep.
Prices over most trade categories were unchanged to slightly dearer, with the better trade weights presenting with good finish making from $142-$169. Heavy four score lambs jumped $10 selling at $168-$228. Restocker and lotfeeder demand was steady for well-bred secondary lambs which sold from $108-$148.
It was a mixed offering of sheep, with heavy drafts only moderately supplied. Many heavy drafts of ewe mutton showed a lift of $2-$7 making from $108-$169.
Light and medium sheep sold to fluctuating price trends with rates generally up $2-$3 averaging 480c-507c/kg.
