VENDORS sold 26,300 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 declined and so did quality, with more lambs longer in the wool and needing more finish.
Heavy lamb classes presented with plenty of finish and most were grain assisted.
A full field of buyers were in attendance however not all export or domestic processors operated fully.
Restockers were keen to secure secondary stock, with processors mostly the under bidders.
In the trade market, major domestic processors took a back seat and only operated on lambs in a very short skin showing plenty of shape.
Lambs weighing 22 to 24kg, sold $12/head cheaper to average 885c/kg cwt.
Merino trade lambs sold to a small group of buyers and all categories sold to weaker competition to average 786c/kg cwt.
Young lambs returning to the paddock and to feed on made from $167 to $196/head.
There was a full field of export buyers in attendance however not all operated fully.
Heavy lambs slipped $8/head to average 861c/kg cwt.
Extra heavy lambs were keenly sought at times throughout the sale but despite this prices generally fell back $6 to $13/head.
Lambs over 30kg carcase weight sold from $255 to $294/head averaging 778c/kg cwt.
It was another mixed quality yarding of mutton, with heavy sheep in greater supply.
Heavy ewes sold to strong demand lifting $12 to $17/head to average 690c/kg cwt. A single pen of heavy crossbred ewes recorded a top price of $295/head.
Trade sheep prices fluctuated making from $134 to $158/head.