Lamb prices have started to gather pace with fewer stock locked into forward contracts and direct deals.
Good quality slaughter lambs were dearer at major selling centres on Monday, with heavy export lambs reaching a top price of $285 a head.
The mutton market found some traction with buyers prepared to step up and chase the market for good quality lines of heavy ewes and wethers.
At the close of selling on Monday the trade lambs indicator had improved 2 cents a kilogram carcase weight to 793c/kg, while heavy lambs sat at 789c/kg, a jump of 19c/kg.
The restocking indicator took a big hit though, dipping 27c/kg to rest at 834c/kg.
The mutton indicator slipped 10c/kg to 557c/kg, down 106c/kg from this time last year.
There were 12950 lambs yarded at Bendigo on Monday, marking a moderate lift in numbers.
Lamb quality was quite mixed with genuine trade weights in short supply.
The National Livestock Reporting Service quoted quality trade lambs were $5 dearer.
Lambs weighing 21-24kg made from $156-$200 to average 744-791c/kg cwt.
The stand-out trend in the past week has been the very buoyant demand from supermarkets and other leading domestic orders for decent lines of grain-assisted lambs weighing 24-26kg.
Buyers on the day pushed rates $10-$15 higher to average 815c/kg cwt.
Heavy export lambs sold to mixed results, with lambs weighing 26-30kg easing $6, while the big, supersized lambs sold $6 dearer, averaging 736c/kg cwt.
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Numbers were up by 20,088 to 49,634 head at Ballarat on Tuesday.
Quality was described as exceptional to plain with plenty of weight at the heavy end.
All the usual domestic and export buyers made it to the market, and most were active across trade and heavy categories.
Heavy lambs sold to $295 despite prices softening $7 to average 738c/kg cwt.
Trade lambs were unchanged selling between $180-$207 and averaging 792c/kg cwt.
On the supply front, the drying season is forcing farmers to consider stocking options ahead of the winter months.
It showed up at the Wagga Wagga, NSW, saleyards last week where big numbers of lightweight lambs were offloaded.
Quality is becoming an issue with lightweight lambs and this affected price results, as restockers and processors picked through the offering against weak demand.
The bulk of the lighter-weight lambs ranged in weight from 12-16kg and struggled to attract buyers, slipping $25.
The better-conditioned and well-bred lambs returning to the paddock sold between $130-$158, while plainer lots sold down to a low of $108.
