Weekly lamb yarding numbers have matched the 2020 peak signalling the annual spring flush has hit full throttle.
According to Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) on a national scale, at the end of last week, young lambs yardings increased 189 per cent from the week prior.
And MLA's market information analyst Jenny Lim said prices are indicating there is a shift away from old season lambs.
"Prices are indicating buyers are favouring the new young lambs moving through the saleyard," Ms Lim said.
"Extra heavy young lambs are selling to processors at a top of $240 per head.
"The increase in numbers may have been attributed to the recent short weeks preventing some markets from going ahead, but when compared to figures two weeks ago, numbers have still lifted 38pc.
"This indicates that new season lambs are definitely beginning to hit the market."
On Tuesday, the Eastern States Trade Lamb Indicator (ESTLI) finished a healthier at 748 cents per kilogram cwt, an increase of 14c week-on-week and a lift of 40c for the month.
Light lamb also rallied adding on 12c to finish at 708c/kg cwt - the biggest monthly increase of 93c.
And mutton, despite a larger yarding of sheep, gained 24c to finish at 526c/kg cwt.
State by state, the market was softer in Victoria, but improved week-on-week in both NSW and South Australia.
After hitting a low of 436c/kg cwt the week prior, the Western Trade Lamb Indicator jumped 76c to finish at 539c/kg cwt, but even with the improvement, WA lambs are trading at an abnormally large discount to SA.
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Episode 3 analyst Matt Dalgleish said data revealed the second week in September saw the beginning of the rush of lambs to the saleyard in NSW.
"Weekly NSW lamb throughput swelled to 166,469 head that week, an increase of 28pc on the previous week's volumes," Mr Dalgleish said.
"This is the largest weekly yarding of lamb seen in NSW since mid-October 2020 when volumes went over 170,000 head."
Current saleyard lamb volumes in NSW are running 34pc above the five-year average level for this week in the season.
Total lamb yarding levels across the east coast saw numbers swell by 31pc on the previous week's figures to hit 207,184 head of lamb.
"According to the five-year average pattern lamb throughput would normally sit at around 185,000 head for this week in the year so current volumes are nearly 12pc above the normal pattern," Mr Dalgleish said.
Meanwhile, lamb slaughter numbers declined 21pc week-on-week to 322,221 head.
Lamb slaughter in Victoria eased by 29pc week-on-week, although taking majority of the share numbers.
According to MLA records this is the lowest lamb slaughter rate in the state since Christmas shutdowns.
"Although there was a reduction in lamb slaughter, numbers only just dipped below 2021 figures for this time last year, demonstrating the strong supply currently moving through the market," Ms Lim said.
