Another wet week and a combination of other issues have driven both lamb and sheep markets higher across eastern Australia in the last week.
Other factors also contributed to the price spike such as restricted transport access due to the inclement weather and few back-to-back shorter selling weeks.
These factors contributed to lower numbers of new-season lambs across all states except Western Australia, according to Meat & Livestock Australia data.
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NSW lamb supply is below the three-year average, while Victoria is trending firm and is expected to peak in summer in mid-December.
With wet weather affecting supplies, weight performance and transport, the 2022 spring flush is on course set to be delayed.
Buyers were unable to weaken lamb prices in early trading this week, due to tightening supplies of well-finished lambs being offered at all major selling centres.
Price averages for both trade and heavy export lambs continued to grip to a benchmark rate of about 830 cents a kilogram carcass weight.
This kept averages above $190 a head for good sucker lambs weighing about 23-24 kilograms.
Almost 20,000 lambs were yarded at Bendigo, up 2000 head, and with the northern markets of Corowa, NSW, and Dubbo, NSW, also offered slightly bigger supplies of new-season lambs.
Bidding at saleyards has maintained a robustness about it, with wet weather continuing to create turmoil with stock movements.
It was interstate-based export buyers who led the bidding at Bendigo, lifting prices $6-$12 higher
MLA's National Livestock Reporting Service said the best-presented young lambs 26-30kg cwt made $215-$249 to average $230.
The general run of sucker trade lambs sold between $171 to $208
At the close of selling Monday, the national price average for heavy lambs was listed at 781c/kg cwt, and trade weights were at 770c /kg cwt.
When drilling into the NLRS data, the price data is broken down by region.
The north is recording the best results, with the NSW price average trending between 820-850c/kg cwt due tight supplies at most northern selling centres.
Meanwhile, at Ballarat on Tuesday, numbers lifted to 17,233 lambs and 5,400 sheep.
Competition was stronger across the board by $10-$15 with young trade lambs averaging 815-850c/kg cwt
Ballarat restockers have competed in the north and south against processors for trade weight lambs to shear.
Those buyers have paid more than $168 and up to $195 at centres like Wagga Wagga, NSW, and Bendigo and at their own market.
Heavy sheep were unchanged making from $150-$186 and averaged 400-431c/kg cwt.
Trade sheep rallied $8 to average 551c/kg cwt.
- Leann Dax is an NLRS market reporter.
