Extra-heavy lambs average $409, with one lamb selling for an exceptional $520

Extra-heavy lambs sold close to the national record this week with a standout hitting $520 at Goulburn in NSW. Could this signal a new high for the market?

A line of 190 extra-heavy lambs sold over the hooks this week averaging an impressive $409 — just shy of the national record price of $410.

In a standout result, one lamb dressed at a massive 54kg and fetched an exceptional price of $520.

For vendor Garry Mickan at Walla Walla, southern NSW, it’s the second time his lambs have made what could be described as record prices.

Six years ago, he sold lambs for what was, at the time, an industry high of $350 at the Corowa market.

“It is a wonderful price and the best I have ever received,” he said.

“I’m just so happy, and after this, my hat might not fit on my head for a couple of days.”

Mr Mickan said his lambs were all grain fed, and they were second cross with both White Suffolk and Poll Dorset genetics.

He was confident they would do well, but never expected one to surpass the $500 mark.

The line of 190 offered had a liveweight of 81kg, a dressed weight of 42.5kg and returned $409 each when the skin value was added.

Mr Mickan said he still had more lambs to sell, and thanked his sons Daniel and Jason, who managed the feeding and “presented them so well”.

The Walla Walla property has received 27mm of rain in recent days, but Mr Mickan said overall, it was the driest he could remember in his lifetime.

“We still have dams that are empty,” he said.

Prime sheep: David Hill of David Hill Livestock and Property. Picture: Nikki Reynolds

Livestock agent David Hill of Albury, NSW travelled to Southern Meats abattoir at Goulburn with Mr Mickan to deliver the lambs, and were able to see how they looked dressed and on the kill floor.

“They were as good of a pen of lambs that we have seen anywhere for a little while,” Mr Hill said.

“You have to remember there were 190 of them, and that is a good line. It wasn’t a small pen.”

There has been a run of records in recent weeks with the current high of $410 achieved by Jeparit farmer Wes Preston with White Suffolk-Merino lambs that sold at the Warracknabeal sale. Mr Preston’s other pens sold for $407 and $409.

Before that there were prices of $400 at Ballarat, and $403 at Horsham.

Jeparit farmer Wes Preston broke a national record for his White Suffolk/Merino lambs. Picture: Rachel Simmonds

The benchmark Meat and Livestock Australia heavy lamb indicator shows exactly what farmers are reporting, currently sitting in record territory at 1009c/kg carcass weight - an increase of 35c/kg in a week and a staggering 296c/kg higher than this time last year.

On May 30, MLA reported that the heavy lamb indicator had hit a record when it was at 1005c/kg.