For producers looking to take advantage of current market conditions, opportunity will continue to knock on the door at physical markets as we commence the sales in the new year.
Unstable weather conditions are being experienced across most of the eastern seaboard and the deluge of rain has caused major complications for some.
Queensland roads in some areas now face weight limits and transport restrictions will hold back cattle supplies.
Meanwhile some sheep graziers have been inundated with fly strike problems in NSW and Victoria.
Feed 'plentiful'
Adding to the mix, rain has produced magnificent stands of dry land lucerne which is enabling producers to hold lambs and push their weights higher over the next few weeks.
A lamb buyer who operates in the NSW markets said from Forbes to Coonamble the country has never looked better and summer crops are plentiful.
He added there were plans afoot for restockers to be present and active at upcoming lamb sales and expected the northern contingent to be very strong looking to bolster numbers.
Victorian restockers have been active for months and have lifted market prices at the lighter end.
The unstable weather conditions has had a positive impact at the Wagga Wagga, NSW, lamb market.
Prices for store lambs have generally been firm-to-dearer while further south in Victoria prices have leapt ahead topping at $210.
Lamb prices have started to fluctuate this week as summer hits the halfway mark.
Supply has been quite mixed and fewer stock have been locked into forward contracts and direct deals.
Good quality domestic lambs were cheaper at all major saleyards on Monday, with heavy export lambs reaching a top of $265.
On the heavy export front, the rising dollar against the US currency is likely to work against lamb export values into 2021.
This comes as saleyard heavy lamb prices tracked cheaper in all markets.
The mutton market is again plateauing, with some buyers not prepared to chase prices to extreme levels of last week despite the increase of sheep being available.
How the markets played out this week
At the close of selling on Monday the trade lamb indicator had slipped 30 cents a kilogram to 858c/kg carcase weight.
Heavy lambs similarly were down too to 851c/kg, shedding 7c/kg.
The mutton market indicator fell 42c/kg down from a peak 605c/kg recorded last week .
Store lambs at Ballarat on Tuesday remained a hot ticket item topping at $189, while trade lambs softened $9 to average 823c/kg cwt.
Heavy lambs were unchanged at 784c/kg cwt.
- Leann Dax is an NLRS market reporter.