Hot weather has created a premium for shorn lambs over woolly types as processors continue to search for quality at northern markets.
A bigger percentage of woolly lambs are extremely dry and have been overlooked at times compared to shorn lines.
Grain-fed lambs have held up well in the heat and humidity with yields reported to be very good.
The trend was evident at Wagga Wagga, NSW, last Thursday where young woolly lambs were cheaper in comparison with similar weight lines that were shorn, according to Meat & Livestock Australia's National Livestock Reporting Service
READ MORE:
All this was in setting of cheaper prices across the board for woolly lambs, as domestic and export processors became more selective, particularly those lambs weighing from 21-25 kilograms.
Processor competition at Wagga Wagga was strongest for shorn trade lambs with medium and heavy trade lambs making 780-796 cents a kilogram carcase weight.
Demand was patchy at times for heavy export lambs and big super-sized lambs proved more resilient, although results were still cheaper.
Prices generally weakened $8 a head to average 787c/kg cwt.
The lamb market took another tentative step forward in early trading this week as processors were forced to chase a limited pool of properly finished lambs at several selling centres.
At Corowa, NSW, bidding from domestic processors pushed light and medium trade lambs up by $10 to average 859c/kg cwt.
Hotter weather appeared to slow store buyer demand, which in turn eased the pressure on light export bag lambs.
The average price for lighter-weight lambs destined for Middle Eastern countries sold from $70-$110.
A shortage of heavy lambs meant prices were unchanged, with sales ranging from $225-$250 to average 753-803c/kg cwt.
Meanwhile, prices on Monday for the lead runs of heavy and trade lambs were quoted $10-$15 dearer at Bendigo, with big export types reaching $275.
However, the market remained subdued for plainer lambs lacking fat cover and carcase finish which resulted in a two-tier price result for lambs based about quality.
The better-finished lambs under 30kg trended from 830-855cwt, while the main lines with good fat cover averaged 840c/kg.
Looking at price results across trade categories, the market still lacks consistency with not all processors operating.
The bulk averaged 825c/kg cwt.
Red ink appeared over most categories at Ballarat on Tuesday with the sale selling $5-$8 softer for trade and heavy lambs.
The heaviest drafts made from $210-$288, while trade lambs averaged 785c/kg cwt.
Mutton fell out of bed to average 300-339c/kg cwt.
- Leann Dax is an NLRS market reporter.
