A climbing Australian dollar affected export weight lambs at the Wagga market on Thursday morning and the dry weather was enough to spread caution among restockers who were sourcing store stock. 

The prospect of a dry winter was looming and buyers and vendors commented that the region needed a decent rainfall event to boost crops and pastures. 

New-season sucker lambs provided a bright light with the tops making $166 and other quality pens from the Ganmain area commanding as much as $165. 

Vendors yarded a total of 43,850 sheep and lambs at the sale.

HOW THEY SOLD: Light weight  lambs were in short supply and only a few processors were interested in this category. According to Meat and Livestock Australia’s National Livestock Reporting Service there were some good pens of new season lambs offered throughout the yarding and all sold to solid competition.

New season lambs made from $128 to $165/head.

Supplementary fed and shorter skinned trade lambs attracted strong bidding in comparison to longer wool lambs. Trade lamb prices firmed as the market progressed. The better finished 22-24kg lambs sold at $129 to $166/head, averaging 636c/kg cwt.

Merino trade lambs made from $115 to $155/head.

Lighter weight lambs suitable to restockers or feed made from $97 to $134/head.

Heavy lamb prices fell this week as the market begun to make price adjustments to the higher Australian dollar. Competition was solid but buyers were hesitant to push prices much above 600c/kg cwt.

Generally prices eased by $7 to $8/head to record an average carcase weight price of 597c to 611c/kg cwt.

It was a fair to good quality offering of sheep, with all weights and grades represented.

Not all buyers were operating, with a major processor still completing winter maintenance. Plain light weight sheep made from $61 to $78/head, averaging 406c/kg cwt.