Rain inspired meat buyers and restockers as we head towards the Easter holiday break.
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Processors were forced to increase their spend for a share of lambs and mutton last week.
The trade lamb indicator pushed up 28 cents a kilogram carcase weight week-on-week to 681c/kg.
This is 112c/kg below the same time last year.
Restocking lamb prices improved 42c/kg to 572c/kg, however that was down 281c/kg year-on-year.
Mutton continued to improve thanks to widespread rain and a major northern processor dominating markets.
Both NSW and Victoria gained 25c/kg for their mutton prices, with the national indicator coming to rest at 344c/kg.
At Wagga Wagga, NSW, the sheep market was the highlight of the lamb and mutton sale.
After rain there generally can be a bit of panic for numbers, which resulted in Fletchers International, Dubbo, NSW, and Junee Prime Lamb, Junee, NSW, locking horns and paying premium prices for the heaviest pens of sheep.
This followed with a top price of $175 a head for big crossbred ewes.
Bidding for the general run of these categories pushed prices at times well over 450c/kg.
Solid demand for heavy slaughter lambs has emerged in the past two weeks, while plainer types with less weight and finish are struggling to hold their value.
Feedback from buyers suggests there are reliable export orders for lamb aided by the low Australian dollar which is helping to support the market.
Supplies of good lambs are also tight, with Wagga Wagga still producing big runs of heavy lambs weighing more than 30kg.
Lamb values in opening sales this week on Monday showed a modest improvement.
At Bendigo the limited availability of heavy, well-finished lambs gave the market an advantage, with rates lifting $3-$4.
Prices ranged between $185-$240, averaging 720-753c/kg.
Once done with the good, heavy lambs, bidding did become more selective across medium and heavy trade lambs.
There were bursts of bidding for the exceptional drafts, and this helped lift rates $3-$6 to average 689c/kg.
Meanwhile there were some big gains for mutton in a yarding of 5000.
Price surged $15-$30, with a northern processor dominating.
The sale averaged 406-445c/kg.
At the Ballarat lamb market on Tuesday, the patchy season is dictating prices with grain-assisted lambs keenly sought.
Heavy lambs sold for $212-$290.
This was a rise of $20 on the previous sale.
Trade lambs bounced $5 to average 774c/kg.
