Meat and Livestock Australia market reporter Leann Dax said it was a significantly smaller yarding.

The lamb market gathered pace despite not all buyers in attendance or operating fully.

Good quality domestic lambs were notably dearer while extra heavy lambs were keenly sought helping push prices considerably higher. Secondary lighter weight lambs were in short supply.

A few pens of new season lambs were amongst the offering selling from $178 to $210/head.

Competition was again strongest for short skinned well shaped lambs however, most well finished types sold to stronger bidding. Lambs 21 to 24kg tracked $11 to $13/head dearer.

The bulk selling from $148 to $202/head to average 780c/kg cwt. Lambs 24 to 26kg were keenly contested which resulted in a dearer trend of $11/head.

Merino trade lambs sold up to $50 dearer making from $128 to $170/head. Light lambs to the processors sold from $40 to $131/head.

Extra heavy lambs over 30kg carcass weight were in bigger numbers and quality was outstanding with most grain assisted.

Extra-heavy lamb weighing more than 30kg carcass weight improved $16/head regaining last week's losses to average 671c/kg cwt. Lambs 26 to 30kg were in short supply. Prices lifted $20/head to average 711c/kg cwt. Lambs sold to a top of $265/head.

It was a very mixed quality yarding of mutton that was offered to a bigger group of processors. The market found traction which was rain driven, with buyers referring to wet condition's further north.

Trade sheep sold $11 to $15/head dearer making from $80 to $140/head to average 433c to 515c/kg cwt. Heavy sheep sold to stronger competition selling from $150 to $232/head to average 522c to 557c/kg cwt.