VENDORS sold 32,500 sheep and lambs at the Wagga market on Thursday.
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According to Meat and Livestock Australia's National Livestock Reporting Service lamb supplies decreased with harvest taking priority. Quality was fair to very plain over light weight and trade weight categories.
Across heavy lamb classes bigger numbers were dry and long in the wool.
Buyers continually picked there way through longer wool types with many major buyers avoiding these stock. Extra heavy lamb numbers dipped noticeably with all under 30kg carcase weight. Restockers were out in force with plenty of orders held by agents and meat buyers.
A small field of buyers were in attendance and not all operated fully. Most domestic processors were active although major domestic buyers were extremely cautious due to the drop in quality.
Competition varied with the greatest demand for well finished lambs weighing 22 to 24kg cwt.
The bulk of the trade lambs sold $5 cheaper with the 22 to 24kg weights averaging 750c/kg cwt. Store lambs and lambs with weight and frame made from $120 to $170/head.
A smaller field of export buyers were in attendance and not all operated fully.
Extra-heavy lamb prices lifted, driven by a shortage in the market.
Young lambs 26kg to 30kg gained $7 to average 810c/kg cwt. Shorn lambs weighing over 30kg cwt sold to a top of $277 to average $272/head. It was a mixed yarding of mutton with a few more numbers of trade and plainer stock.
Heavy ewes sold to weaker competition slipping $9 to $20/head. Weathers of any description were keenly sought with some lines making over 700c/kg.
Heavy wethers sold from $149 to $257/head. Trade wethers sold from $139 to $166/head to average 610c/kg cwt.