According to the National Livestock Reporting Service lamb numbers were marginally lower.

Quality was mixed across trade categories, with most of the well finished lambs grain fed or off crop. Heavy and extra heavy lamb numbers declined and lacked the weight of the previous markets.

Restocker and feedlot buying activity was significantly weaker with fewer store orders operating. There was less export processors in the market for light weight lambs resulting in a price correction.

Competition for trade lambs was very erratic owing to the plainer quality. Buyers paid premium prices for well finished shorter skinned lambs however, prices generally slipped $10/head. Medium trade 20kg to 22kg lambs made up the bulk of the offering making $178 to $211/head. Trade lambs 22kg to 24kg recorded a top price of $300 to average 887c/kg cwt.

Merino trade lambs sold to a smaller group of buyers and all categories sold to cheaper trends of $15 to $20 to average 766c/kg cwt. Lambs to restock and feed sold to significantly cheaper trends making from $111 to $182/head. Light weight export lambs sold from $78 to $148/head.

There was less buying competition for heavy lambs throughout the sale which caused prices to vary greatly. Generally heavy lambs 24kg to 26kg sold $14 cheaper making $200 to $240/head.

Extra heavy lambs struggled for momentum ahead of the public holiday on Monday. Only the best extra heavy lambs were able to hold their value, with prices weakening $16 to $30/head to average 844c to 886c/kg cwt. It was another good sized yarding of mutton with medium and heavy sheep well supplied. Heavy crossbred ewes sold up to $240 averaging 618c/kg cwt.

Heavy wethers were in greater numbers, with the supplementary fed portion bare shorn recording a top price of $236/head to average 694c/kg cwt. Trade sheep were keenly sought by all processors selling at $116 to $162/head, averaging 575c to 633c/kg cwt.

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