Meat and Livestock Australia market reporter Leann Dax said the yarding comprised mostly of extra heavy lambs with the bulk weighing more than 30kg cwt.

Lambs were in short supply and quality was mixed with a combined total of 1070 new season lambs.

A full field of buyers were in attendance, however there was very little restocking activity.

Trade lambs were keenly sought with major processors having to operate across the 24 to 26kg category to secure numbers.

Lambs weighing 22 to 24kg were unchanged averaging 943c/kg cwt.

New-season lambs sold from $190 to $238/head with heavy trade weights averaging 959c/kg cwt. Merino trade lambs sold to the usual group of buyers and prices fluctuated depending on fat cover and skin values with the bulk averaging 775c to 787c/kg cwt.

The usual field of export buyers were in attendance and all were operating strongly. Heavy 24 to 26kg lambs sold $9/head dearer to average 936c/kg cwt.

Lambs weighing 26 to 30kg came under pressure from domestic buyers resulting in a price lift of $10/head and averaged 853c/kg cwt. Big extra heavy lambs over 30kg attracted all buyers with plenty of sales from $295 to $318/head to average 737c/kg cwt. Extra heavy Merino lambs improved up to $23/head to average 776c/kg cwt.

It was another mixed quality yarding of mutton, with heavy sheep in reasonable supply. Not all buyers attended or operated across heavy or trade categories.

Heavy ewes sold to erratic bidding with buyer competition patchy at times.

Heavy ewes made from $171 to $241/head to average 593c to 677c/kg cwt. Heavy Merino wethers sold from $195 to $228/head to average 610c/kg cwt. Trade sheep were mostly shorn with very few in longer skins, and the bulk sold from $142 to $176/head.