Lamb prices ease as wet weather stops sheep from being trucked to saleyards

The Wagga Wagga, NSW, lamb market is the big barometer, and most times, sets the market trends for the following week.

From a fortnight ago, Wagga Wagga's record yarding of 80,050 head experienced a huge price correction on the day of $30-$50 ahead, through to last week's massive decline in supplies.

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Numbers dropped by more than half with just 27,000 lambs and 12,900 sheep sold.

The tightening of supplies allowed a huge improvement in price, generally up by $30 across the board, and showed just how unpredictable markets have become with rates and numbers

Lamb prices are being supported by flooding and extremely wet conditions which has disrupted livestock markets and the transport of stock.

It showed in market trends at Griffith, NSW, on Friday where buyers scrambled for numbers in a reduced offering of 5700 lambs and 2750 sheep.

Rates improved over all categories of trade and heavy lambs by $40.

Trade lambs sold from $176 to $220 to average 850-900 cents a kilogram carcase weight.

Heavy, young lambs reached $250 with a lot of sales hitting 900c/kg cwt.

On Monday, prices rallied with expectations that the auction system might record another rate bounce which eventuated at places such as Bendigo and across the border at Corowa, NSW.

At Bendigo, numbers lifted to 25,000 lambs and 7000 sheep, but further north numbers in NSW jumped on Monday as producers moved to take advantage of the dearer markets late last week.

The biggest market sale on Monday was at Dubbo, NSW, where 15,000 lambs and 20,000 sheep were sold.

Heavy lambs weighing more than 24kg cwt were dearer at Dubbo, selling from $210 to a top of $283.

The bulk of the trade weights made between $160 to $224, while Meat & Livestock Australia National Livestock Reporting Service reporter Doug Robinson quoted an average cost of 850-870c/kg cwt.

At Corowa, prices for trade and heavy lambs jumped $5-$10, according to the National Livestock Reporting Service, although there were some price variations across trade lamb categories.

The Ballarat lamb market on Tuesday continued to be affected by weather.

Agents reported a very mixed yarding with a lot of lambs requiring more weight and fat cover.

Figures continued to show the Ballarat season is running late, with producers finding it difficult to add weight and finish to stock.

Trade lambs sold $2-$4 easier, averaging 851c/kg cwt.

Heavy lambs were unchanged to $4 easier at the central Victoria market, averaging 851-897c/kg cwt.