Smaller saleyard offerings keep trade and heavy lambs prices high

Smaller saleyard offerings are keeping key indicators for both trade and heavy lambs at unseasonably high levels, with both pushing past 800c/kg carcass weight.

A dearth of quality is driving lamb prices this spring as rates continue to push close to $300 for suckers.

Smaller saleyard offerings are keeping key indicators for both trade and heavy lambs at unseasonally high levels, with both pushing past 800c/kg carcass weight early this week.

Rates for the best lambs have gained up to 50c/kg in the past month as processors try to secure quality.

Nutrien southern livestock operations manager Ron Rutledge said prices for the best new season lambs were the highest they had been in a decade for this time of year.

But he said there was a huge variation in what was being paid, with only the best attracting the premiums.

“You go to a lamb sale and you will see prices from $30 to $230,” Mr Rutledge said.

“There is less of the quality around, and those that do have it will be rewarded.

“I had a client sell 700 lambs in Wagga Wagga last week and the top 200 made $220 but the rest made $90 to $150.”

Mr Rutledge said some producers had taken the opportunity to sell lambs at lighter weights, taking the chance to offload numbers to the “bag lamb” trade, which mostly goes into the Middle East.

But those who had feed or fed lambs were now being rewarded this spring.

“There are not too many B-double loads of lambs that would be making $200 at the moment - the weight and the quality is just not there in the south (Victoria).”

At Bendigo on Monday, the best heavy export weight suckers made $288.