The bumpy ride for Australian sheep and lamb producers would make anyone turn to the drink, with prices showing big movements on any given day.
At Wagga Wagga, NSW, last week the market was very erratic and gained $10 a head for trade lambs.
Other markets like Dubbo, NSW, Bendigo and Ballarat followed suit, with reasonable price declines reported at NSW and Victorian saleyards.
While heavy lambs could not find traction, they managed to hold form to average 530 cents a kilogram carcase weight.
On Monday at Dubbo, it was a sea of red ink, with price falls of between $10-$20 reported across the yard.
Lamb numbers lifted by almost 4000 with 21,350 lambs yarded.
The bulk of the trade lambs made from $56-$125 to average 350-430c/kg cwt.
Heavy-export lambs, with the majority most grain-assisted, sold $20 cheaper.
The market hit a low point when lambs in four-score condition and weighing 27 kilograms sold for $120, with the main runs averaging between 400-455c/kg cwt.
Big, super-sized lambs could only manage $144-$160 averaging 462c/kg cwt.
Price results in the mutton sale were also rolled back with exporters not showing much enthusiasm at all.
Most of the mutton generally sold $15-$20 cheaper to average 250-304c/kg cwt.
At Bendigo on Monday, a small offering of 7200 lambs 1780 sheep helped stabilise rates.
Meat & Livestock Australia's National Livestock Reporting Service said it was a very wintry yarding with trade and heavy lambs the minority.
In the trade run for example, buyers had only 516 lambs to choose from which contributed to a price lift of $9-$13.
The pick of lambs weighing 21-24kg made from $102-$140 to average 568c/kg cwt.
There were limited numbers of heavy-export grades offered and the few 30kg-plus pens sold from $160 -$174.
Lambs weighing between 26-30kg gained $10 and made from $143 to $175.
On Tuesday price variances at Ballarat started to creep into the market as quality declined and more mixed lots appeared.
There were also fewer export and domestic processors operating at the central Victorian sale.
Trade lambs were unchanged, while lambs lacking fat cover dipped $10.
Heavy lambs softened $6-$10, with buyers not prepared to chase the market.
The bulk of the heavy lambs sold for about $132-$169 to average 447c/kg cwt at Ballarat.
Lighter-weight secondary lambs found little support from restockers or processors, slipping up to $25, while the main runs made from $18-$88.
Meanwhile, the mutton sale continued to head south with rates peeled back $10-$22 to average 240-288c/kg cwt.
- Leann Dax is an NLRS market reporter.
