The lamb market continues to find solid support from exporters and domestic processors at above 800 cents a kilogram carcase weight, 27c/kg higher than last year.
Spring however remains on a knife-edge in many northern areas, with decent rains needed after severe frosts in some areas and continuing dry conditions.
Young lamb prices lost some ground by the end of last week despite numbers declining slightly at northern centres.
In NSW, the two sales on Thursday and Friday at Wagga Wagga and Griffith combined, offered more than 31,000 new season lambs.
According to Meat & Livestock Australia, Victorian lamb supply is further behind where it was in 2017 and 2018, with just over 10,000 young lambs yarded so far.
October, however, is still typically early in the Victorian spring selling season.
At Wagga, rates swung wildly at times, causing huge price variations of up to $20 a head across trade weight categories.
Light trade weights made from $150-$172, while medium and heavy trade sold at $174-$210, with carcase weight returns ranging from 800-850c/kg.
Heavy young lambs sold at $220-$271 to average 850c/kg cwt.
Restocking lambs continued to sell for higher rates on a carcase weight basis, making up to 950c/kg cwt to average $151.
In the mutton market, buyers upped the ante in a smaller offering of 10,500.
The average price for trade sheep lifted $9-$13, to record a top price of $170.
The average price for heavy Merino ewes was $156.
The common trend at opening markets was strong bidding for lambs with plenty of shape and yield.
It was evident at Dubbo, NSW, due to the severe drought there were only a few standout pens of finished lambs.
Trade weight old lambs and new season lambs jumped $10, with the new season portion averaging 850c/kg cwt.
Sheep rates surged $15-$27 to average 547c/kg cwt.
At Corowa, NSW, the National Livestock Reporting Service (NLRS) said the best quality lines of trade weight lambs received the strongest support.
Rates held firm for trade making from $158-$208, with the best lambs hitting 855c/kg cwt.
Prices reached $239 for extra heavy young lambs to average 801c/kg cwt.
Numbers at Bendigo were increased to 16,780, boosted by new season lambs.
The trend of increasing spring lamb supplies has seen trade prices soften on average $3.
Medium and heavy trade lambs, 22-24 kilograms, sold from $158-$200 to average 802c/kg cwt.
Heavy lambs gained $1 selling from $200-$240, averaging 791c/kg cwt.
A highlight of the sale was the strong support from restockers who travelled from Tasmania, Ballarat, and Echuca.
NLRS noted specialist store lamb finishers paid from $144-$177, while smaller lambs to turn-off sold from $64-$133.
At Ballarat, new season trade lambs sold $14-$19 dearer averaging 812c/kg cwt.
Heavy lambs made from $206-$230.
