Annual first-cross breeder sales saw prices reach record levels of $402 a head last week.
After strong results at Bendigo's feature sales, it was western Victoria and south-east South Australia that set the tone with Edenhope on Thursday morning setting a new mark for first-cross ewes at $388.
That record lasted just hours when buyers paid $402 at Naracoorte, SA, that afternoon.
It's a perfect storm of good seasons in many of the buyer catchment areas and extreme export demand that has driven prices.
Rodwells Wimmera manager Wayne Driscoll said the Edenhope result was "extraordinary".
"We didn't have a 1.5-year-old ewe sell under $300 and they averaged around $345," Mr Driscoll said.
"The result was around a lot of repeat buyers, mainly local, with additional support from the south-west."
He said most buyers were getting an additional $20 a head on their lambs this year and $20 to $30 more on their old ewes.
He said if there was an autumn break next year that extended into the drought-hit areas, it could become a restocking scenario and "who knows what breeding females will be worth".
Rodwells Edenhope livestock agent David Hanel said the season had been kind in the south-western Wimmera and down into the western district.
"There will be no worries with feed over the course of the summer and there is a fair bit of optimism about the prime lamb industry," Mr Hanel said.
Mecardo livestock industry analyst Matt Dalgleish said the huge problems in the global pig industry due to African swine fever (ASF) meant sheepmeat was in strong demand from China.
"You cannot underestimate the impact of ASF, the normal dip in prices we see in spring as more supply hits the market is not likely to be there this year," Mr Dalgleish said.
"Data is showing demand for mutton is up 118 per cent on medium-term averages and China is virtually solely responsible for that."
He said the Australian sheep industry was potentially looking at a game changer for some years to come in terms of the increased Chinese demand, a possibility that has flown under the radar somewhat due to the focus on the woes of the international pig sector.
"The Chinese demand for alternative sources of protein in the wake of ASF is here, that's a fact the only thing we are not sure about is how long the demand is going to be here for," he said.
Happy vendors
The top-priced pen at Edenhope was offered by the Rogers family, Mt Yulong, Telangatuk, with 149 August/September 2018-drop October-shorn ewes sold to Charlie Kerr, Dartmoor, for $388 a head.
Wayne and Jill McClure, Harrow, sold 144 spring 2019-drop ewes for $382, while there were four separate pens to $362 offered by the Hancock family (twice), the Kealy family and the Chadwick family, all who farm in the Miga Lake/Charam area to the north-east of Edenhope.
Mr McClure said it was a fantastic result for all vendors that reflected the evenness of the sale offering.
"All the sheep that went into the sale were in excellent condition and the buyers know what they are getting, as you could see by the number of repeat buyers here," he said.
The top-priced lamb pen of $340 from the Dearden family smashed the previous record, also held by the Deardens, of $276.
David Barry, Lake Bolac, purchased 221 ewe lambs from the Chadwick family, Miga Lake, for $268.
Mr Barry said he was pleased with the buy, saying he expects quality breeding stock to become harder to get hold of.
Compared to the prices for ewes he said the lambs were good value.
It was also a big day for local volume vendors Danny and Noeline West, who sold 1070 of their May/June 2019-drop lambs for up to $285.
