According to Meat and Livestock Australia's National Livestock Reporting service livestock agents offered another outstanding run of new season lambs across trade and heavy export classes, however heavy young lambs over 26kg were in limited numbers.

Lighter weight young lambs were well supplied and quality was mixed, with a tail in the offering as producers offload due to the extremely dry conditions.

Old trade lambs varied in quality and so did prices. Extra heavy old lambs were in short supply. Ballarat lamb fattening specialist were at the rail and dominated at times over trade weight categories paying to a top price of $208/head.

Price results for trade lambs strengthened on the back of the shorter trading week.

The best of the heavy trade lambs, 22kg to 24kg, gained $4/head, to average 849c/kg cwt.

Light weight lambs to the processors lifted $2 to $8/head as processors tried to make purchases around a large field of restockers. Heavy young lambs sold $3/head dearer averaging 853c/kg cwt.

The limited availability of quality extra heavy lambs is starting to show up in the form of better prices.

Shorn young lambs recorded a top price of $281 with the bulk making from $220 to $269/head. New season lambs back to the paddock sold to solid demand, with orders from Forbes, Ballarat and local inquiry.

Ballarat lamb fattening specialist upped the ante paying from $155 to $208/head. Light lambs back to the paddock sold from $98 to $142/head.

Old trade lambs varied in quality and lacked buyer support to average 755c/kg cwt. Merino trade lambs, 20kg to 24kg, sold from $158 to $204/head.

Heavy old lambs sold to notably weaker demand, with reports from buyers yields have been disappointing. Prices for heavy and extra heavy lambs ranged from $181 to $270/head, averaging 767c/kg cwt. It was another excellent yarding of mutton, with only limited supplies of plainer sheep offered.

Most of the usual buying group were in attendance and a single major processors from the north dominated the market over heavy weight categories, with the exception of the lighter weights. Heavy mutton sold to weaker demand which resulted in a cheaper trend of $11 to $16/head. Heavy crossbred ewes sold up to $217/head, averaging 547c/kg cwt.

Heavy Merino ewes made from $184 to $212/head, averaging 574c/kg cwt. Heavy wethers sold at $165 to $198/head, averaging 618c/kg cwt. Trade and light sheep ranged from $102 to $164/head, with trade mutton averaging 653c/kg cwt.