Meat and Livestock Australia's National Livestock Reporting Service indicated that lamb numbers were marginally lower with the exception of new season lambs which lifted to 7000.

Quality was outstanding over trade and heavy lamb categories, with old lamb's grain assisted or finished on crop.

Heavy and extra heavy lambs were in good numbers.

Not all of the usual winter buying group made purchases or operated to their usual buying levels. The trade lamb market sold to steady demand, but prices were adjusted across the board. All domestic buyers were keen to operate but dropped their bidding rate by $15 to $20/head.

New-season lambs, 21 to 24kg cwt sold from $153 to $173/head with the bulk averaging 698c/kg cwt.

Old trade lambs sold to erratic bidding throughout the sale causing a huge price variance at times. The bulk of the old trade lambs average 647c/kg cwt. Merino trade lambs sold to the usual group of buyers and all categories sold to weaker competition to average 609c/kg cwt.

Not all the usual export buyers were at the rail and demand was considerably weaker, with some companies very selective if making purchase. Lambs, 26kg to 30kg, sold $23 easier making from $158 to $184/head to average 557c/kg cwt.

Lambs weighing over 30kg cwt eased on average $31, selling at $158 to $200/head to average 486c/kg cwt. It was a mixed quality yarding of mutton with heavy sheep well supplied.

Heavy ewes sold to a reduced field of buyers to average 420c to 452c/kg cwt. Trade sheep were limited making from $105c to $150/head to average from 525c to 583c/kg cwt.

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