Bendigo lamb prices: Heavy lamb prices on the up

Heavy lambs cracked the $300 barrier for the first time this year, but the mutton run was the real star of the recent Bendigo sale.

Lamb prices lifted and mutton surged at the Bendigo market this week, but agents are still cautious about calling it the start of a hoped for winter rally.

For the first time this season Bendigo had extra heavy lambs crack the $300 barrier, although the real market buzz came in to the mutton run when heavy crossbred ewes sold to $269 and Merino wethers to $255.

“The sheep market was just one out of the box,” Nutrien auctioneer Nick Byrne said.

“Mutton supplies have started to tighten and then with the wet weather we’ve had some processors obviously just had to get some numbers.”

Mutton was quoted as $10 to $25 dearer on Monday by the National Livestock Reporting Service, while the best trade and export domestic lambs were listed as $10 to $15 stronger.

The main run of heavy fat-score 4 crossbred ewes averaged $244 head after reaching a top of $269.

Mr Byrne said it was too early for producers to start celebrating winter premiums, as the market was still performing erratically in places and it was unclear if the wet weather had just temporarily created a shortage by disrupting transport and the flow of stock booked-up direct to meatworks.

“The lamb market is still fragmented — the very well-finished lambs were certainly dearer but there wasn’t much change on the secondary crossbred types.

“You would need to see these sorts of prices remain in the market for a few weeks before you could say winter premiums were in full flight.”