The supply pinch has had a pronounced effect on both direct to works rates and prices in the physical markets.
Average price levels for trade and heavy lambs across NSW are sitting around 28 per cent and 27 per cent higher, respectively year-on-year.
Merino prices have also been historically strong of late, many of which has been sold to processors trying to absorb more numbers to fulfil kill days.
New season lamb drafts were particularly strong and sales often averaged in excess of 600c/kg cwt.
Most trade weight new season lambs were $3 dearer and settled between $128 and $139/head.
Heavy lambs peaked at $155/head as most pens averaged close to 565c/kg cwt.
Older merino lambs were strongly pursued by processors and mainly sold $3 dearer as the trade weight pens averaged $106 to $116/head.
Old crossbred trade weight lambs were mostly between $116 and $129/head as most pens settled around 551ckg cwt.
Heavy lamb numbers remain strong this late into winter and most pens sold to a stronger market as values lifted up to $8 and averaged close to $140/head.
The best of the extra heavy lambs topped at $199/head at the Wagga sale.
Cattle
Restocker demand remained particularly strong with producers chasing young cattle.
Medium weight vealer steers returning to the paddock averaged 214c while yearling steers to turn out averaged 204c/kg.
Heavyweight C3 grown steers averaged 2c higher at 184c and medium weight D3 cows improved 2c to average 141c/kg.
Vealer steers to restockers remained firm to slightly cheaper compared to last week.
Lightweight C2s sold to 236c to average 223c/kg.
Medium weight C2 pens eased 3c to average 214c while C2's to process sold around 208c/kg.
Lightweight C2 vealer heifers eased 3c to 213c as medium weights were firm around 205c/kg.
Lightweight C2 yearling steers returning to the paddock reached 233c to average 5c lower at 208c/kg.
Feeder buyers paid similar rates to last week at 209c for lightweight yearling steers and 2c less at 201c/kg for medium weight C2s. Heavyweight C2 yearling steers to feed reached 205c to average 191c/kg.
Lightweight C2 yearling heifers to feed and slaughter both averaged 3c lower at 186c and 188c/kg respectively.
Lightweight C3 heifers to the trade gained 6c to 201c as medium weights sold 3c dearer at 194c and heavyweights made around 183c/kg.
Medium weight grown steers to feed slipped 6c to 177c as those to processors sold around 174c/kg.
C3 and c4 bullocks gained 2c to 3c to average 183c/kg.
Cows mostly sold to a dearer trend, Lightweight D2's gained 4c to 125c and heavy D4 cows averaged 5c higher at 154c after reaching 165c/kg.
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