All eastern states lamb indicators showed cheaper trends at the end of the last trading week.
Restocker lambs tumbled the most and lost 89 cents a kilogram to settle at 814c/kg.
The trade lamb indicator was at 763c/kg on Friday, falling 22c/kg on the previous week.
READ MORE:
Meanwhile, heavy lambs lost considerable ground and dipped 20c/kg to finish at 753c/kg cwt.
Merino lambs closed at 714c/kg, down 23c/kg week-on-week.
Meat & Livestock Australia's National Livestock Reporting Service quoted quality either very good or very mixed across most of the southern markets.
Trade lambs were unchanged to $3 dearer at Wagga Wagga, NSW, in the Riverina last week.
Lamb and sheep prices are behaving erratically as the very mixed quality in two states impacts markets.
However, lamb prices were showing signs of rebounding on Monday as saleyard supplies of finished lambs tightened, particularly at northern markets.
The sheep market struggled with very few processors interested in competing for a share.
The mutton indicator retreated a further 8c/kg to rest at 579c/kg cwt Monday evening.
There were only 12,450 lambs at Bendigo on Monday, despite not holding a sale before the Easter holiday break.
The general run of trade lambs improved $5-$10 a head and made from $180-$200.
The heavy trade lambs between 24-26kg averaged 750c/kg to 800c/kg cwt.
Heavy lambs were limited with very few sales above $250.
Most trades between 26-32kg ranged from $200 to $278.
Light weight lambs found little support, with minimal demand from restockers and processors.
The NLRS noted there were light lamb sales down to a low of 660c/kg cwt.
Most export processors were at the mutton sale, however, not all operated to capacity and competition fluctuated at times.
Heavy sheep sales were slightly stronger with good lines of mutton estimated at 570c-620c/kg cwt.
At Ballarat on Tuesday prices flipped and flopped and were influenced by the erratic demand from export and domestic processors.
The best rates recorded were for extra heavy lambs recording a top price of $280.
Rates slipped $11 for both woolly and shorn pens.
The absence of export demand from some buyers resulted in a bigger price spread, with 26-36kg lambs selling from $200-$280 averaging 720c/kg to 760c/kg cwt.
While bidding for the best domestic lambs was weaker, prices softened $4-$8 to average 750-790c/kg cwt
Heavy mutton gained $15, with competition driven by Fletchers International.
Heavy ewe mutton topped at $220.
- Leann Dax is an NLRS market reporter.
Want daily highlights delivered to your inbox? Sign up to the Stock & Land newsletter below.
