Price variations on quality have begun to edge into lamb markets.
But overall, the very best lambs across trade and heavy classes have only weakened slightly.
Most saleyards reported cheaper rates across trade weight lambs, with the best big supersized lambs holding their value best, according to Meat & Livestock Australia's National Livestock Reporting Service (NLRS).
It showed in the latest saleyard indicators with heavy lambs listed at 771 cents a kilogram carcase weight earlier this week.
That is 18c/kg down on last week, while trade weights were back 19c/kg to rest at 791c/kg cwt.
Mutton fell out of bed this week dipping 33c/kg to sit at 567c/kg cwt.
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Bidding eased at Bendigo in central Victoria on Monday with the NLRS noting mainly the plainer-bred and finished lambs were affected by a $4-$15 a head correction, despite the Labour Day public holiday the previous week.
The most notable trend according to saleyard analysts was a drop in demand and value for light and small lambs under 18kg cwt.
Prices for these lambs dropped to levels not seen at the Bendigo yards for quite some time.
Lamb buyers focused on shorn lambs, with these offering buyers the best carcase performance and weight.
Most of the better-presented trade lambs sold in a range of $183-$198 to average 807c/kg cwt.
Plainer trade lambs varied in rates and sold on average from $155-$180 depending on breed and fat cover.
The prices for processing lambs averaged 680-780c/kg cwt.
The best trade weight lambs to supermarkets and domestic orders held their value best.
The shortage of good heavy weight lambs remains a factor to prices holding firm to a few dollars cheaper.
There were only a handful of limited pens above 30kg, with most 26-30kg cwt.
The top price of $280 was achieved for a draft of lambs estimated to weigh 38kg cwt.
The balance sold from $183-$263 to average 719c/kg cwt.
The mutton sale was more like the egg and spoon race and was described as erratic with no real price direction by buyers and agents.
The better pens of heavy sheep sold from $150-$221 to average 539c/kg cwt.
Trade sheep varied greatly in rates selling at $89-$153.
At the Central Victorian Livestock Exchange at Ballarat on Tuesday, the tables turned around where moderate price gains for trade and heavy lambs were reported.
Quality was fair to outstanding and all buyers were at the rail operating.
Trade lambs improved $5 selling from $155-$208 to average 797c/kg cwt.
Heavy lamb competition ramped up $8-$9 and recorded a top price of $295.
The mutton sale struggled to attract buyers and eased about $5 to average 551c/kg cwt.
- Leann Dax is an NLRS market reporter.
