More mixed pricing in sheepmeat space

Supply tightened at most saleyards as the season shifts, with that tighter supply lending itself to gains across the national indicators.

Mutton has also seen some positive price movements, with the national indicator now at its highest point since early February.

In Wagga Wagga, NSW, lamb supply lifted to 45,500 head to be up nearly 10,000 on the previous week, with a wide price range for lambs running from between 600 to 760c.

Quality pens of trade and heavy lambs remained limited, but ultimately the key heavy and trade lamb categories saw averages between 670c to 720c/kg.

Heavy lambs were firm to $5 dearer, while there was price bounces of up to $10 and more on very neat trade lambs and well presented later-drop shorn feeder lambs.

In the light lamb run better quality Muslim kill lambs sold for mostly $80 to $125.

Prices were stronger for mutton sale particularly across the lead pens of heavy ewes and Merinos wethers, with an estimated price range for most sheep between 350c to 420c/kg cwt.

In Dubbo lamb and mutton numbers both eased, with a drop in lamb quality from the previous week, with a lot of light lambs and secondary trade weights on offer.

While all the usual buyers were operating, bidding was more subdued with restockers back by $10 a head to sell from $58 to $110.

Trade lambs were $4 to $5 stronger, selling from $125 to $170 a head and averaging 660c to 720c for the top lines and 600c to 640c for secondary lambs.

Heavy lambs from 24 to 26kg sold from $166 to $186/head and gained $3 on limited numbers and averaged 690c/kg. Heavy lambs to 30kg ranged from $184 to $215 and extra heavy weights $217 to $242/head or range from 670c to 700c/kg. Light Merino hoggets mainly sold from $63 to $110 and heavy Dorpers reached $157/head.

Light mutton was cheaper while medium weights were firm, with heavy mutton also $7 cheaper.

In Bendigo, lamb numbers dropped slightly to 11,870 head while sheep supply took a bigger dip to 4320 head.

Lamb quality continued to decline, strong competition for the best lambs saw them move up to an average range of 680c to 720c.

Feeder and store lambs saw the best price gains, going for $10 to $20 dearer in places. Prices varied for trade lambs, with most $135 to $160 a head, while some went for up to $170.

While select trade lambs made over 700c, most were under 680c amid a very mixed run in terms of breed quality, type and number in a pen.

In the sheep yarding export demand was weaker on heavy mutton, which eased by $5 to $10 a head. Light sheep saw some market peaks well above 300c, while rams sold at much dearer levels amid friction from two buyers.

Meanwhile the South Australian Livestock Exchange saw numbers drop to 6000 lambs and 2000 sheep with quality mixed once again.

Light lamb sold for prices ranging from $2 to $33 a head while the few trade weight lambs ranged from $70 to $143 a head.

Heavy lambs sold for between $70 to $170 a head, with the extreme heavy lambs fetching as much as $160 to $250 a head.

Mutton quality was again good with prices up with light ewes receiving $52 to $60 a head and heavy weights going for $105 to $114 a head.