The heightened level of attention from media outlets regarding lumpy skin disease and foot and mouth disease has affected the psyche of restockers at lamb and sheep markets.
The buying tempo for both store lambs and cattle have weakened dramatically in a week due to the ongoing threat of FMD.
An example of this was at Ballarat's store cattle sale last Friday when lighter-weight steers sold for $300 cheaper, while heifers slipped $300-$400 a head.
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Restockers stated they lacked confidence and wanted more control from government by making sure Australia remained safe.
At Wagga Wagga, NSW, there was an influx of 40,000 lambs with a good percentage lighter in weight.
Normally restockers would be the main supporters of lighter-weight lambs, however, very few ventured to bid.
This resulted in a price correction of $20 and more for non-description types.
It should be noted only the best second-cross lambs, with weight and frame, equaled the previous sale's prices.
The bulk sold from $76-$138.
There was a dramatic shift in buying pace at southern and northern saleyards on Monday, with processors appearing to be quite selective.
There were further significant price corrections recorded for lamb and mutton at Bendigo as well at Corowa, NSW, and Dubbo in NSW, which also reported weaker markets on the same day.
At Corowa there was a bigger yarding of 12,960 lambs and the market did not have the same enthusiasm as the previous market, with prices tracking $20-$30 cheaper, according to Meat & Livestock Australia's National Livestock Reporting Service.
Trade lambs averaged 733 cents a kilogram, while heavy lambs hovered between 679-718c/kg carcase weight.
There was a lot of weight on offer in the mutton sale, however, demand weakened, and rates slipped significantly with heavy ewes averaging $150 or 499c/kg cwt.
The same problem plagued the Bendigo market in a similar-sized yarding of 6000 lambs and 5200 sheep.
Buyers were selective and not all buyers were present or operating fully.
This could have ramifications for new-season lambs when they hit the saleyards.
Lambs generally sold $10-$20 easier.
Heavy lambs topped at $248 despite some excellent grain assisted stock.
The general run of trade lambs sold from $130-$175 with just a handful of supermarket lambs reaching 700c/kg cwt.
The Ballarat lamb sale fared a little better than other markets, with trade lambs easing $5 to average 750c/kg cwt.
Heavy lambs sold to $20 cheaper, recording a top price of $263 to average 670-710c/kg cwt.
Meanwhile, restockers were not in attendance, however, agents operated on the odd pen of lambs.
- Leann Dax is an NLRS market reporter.
