According to Meat and Livestock Australia's National Livestock Reporting Service quality was outstanding across trade and heavy lambs classes, with most supplementary fed or off crop.

The market gathered pace despite not all major export processors operating fully. Price for trade lambs strengthened, with buyers paying a premium for shorter skinned types.

The best well finished trade lambs, 21 to 24kg, sold $4 to $7 dearer with major domestic processors dominating the market.

Trade lambs averaged 950c/kg cwt. Light weight lambs to the processors held their values due in part to the limited supply. Young lambs returning to the paddock sold from $147 to $193/head.

Heavy lambs benefited from strong competition from domestic processors which resulted in a lift of $9/head to average 913c/kg cwt.

Extra heavy lambs sold to erratic demand, with some buyers keen to acquire a share, while others were very selective. In spite of prices bouncing around, the market gained $9/head.

Extra heavy lambs topped at $310/head to average 857c/kg cwt. It was an impressive yarding of mutton with the bulk heavy ewes and wethers. Heavy crossbred ewes gained $11 in robust competition to average 745c/kg cwt.

Heavy Merino ewes made from $181 to $242 while heavy wethers topped at $253/head averaging 735c/kg cwt. Trade and light sheep were limited ranging from $151 to $193/head, with trade mutton averaging 735c/kg cwt.