DESIRABLE trade lamb prices have been a boon for graziers experiencing one of the best seasons they can remember in the central and southern parts of the State.
Although a bit volatile from week to week, prices have remained well above the same time last year for autumn and winter so far.
Forbes Livestock and Agency director Tim Mackay said the lamb market was holding up well for this time of year and there were still plenty of lambs being offered.
“People are not under pressure to sell their lambs, like they have been with the cattle, so the quality and presentation has been good too,” Mr Mackay said.
“There’s certainly been good returns for graziers this year.”
He said it would be at least the end of August before the new season suckers began to enter the market.
“People don’t need to panic about getting rid of their old lambs just yet as the suckers are still quite a way off,” Mr Mackay said.
“It means there’s the opportunity to finish lambs and keep putting weight on them if you have the feed.”
Mr Mackay said much of the talk had been about competition from the south of the State and Victoria helping to keep values strong.
“There has certainly been good competition from these regions, but it’s from the processors on finished lambs, not on the restocker type lambs,” he said.
“I expect it will be spring before we see any of the restockers really entering the market.”
What hadn’t helped the market was the ongoing forecast of a dry spring.
“It’s made some people a bit anxious and it’s showing in the market as they don’t want to take too much of a risk if it turns really dry and they still have lambs to finish.”
Early this week The Land’s Trade Lamb Indicator was on 582 cents a kilogram (carcase weight) which was about 80c/kg higher than this time last year.
And it’s not just in NSW where lamb prices are doing well.
In South Australia last week extra heavy crossbred lambs just shy of 12 months topped the market at $226 during the South Australia Livestock Exchange sale at Dublin.
The pen of nine extra heavy woolly lambs offered by John Millard, “Mai-Ville”, Kadina, SA, were estimated to weigh at least 70 kilograms (liveweight), according to selling agent Matthew Starr, Quality Livestock, Dublin.
The pen of lambs, which were finished on grain, were bought by JBS Swift, Bordertown.
Mr Starr said the dearer market last week was typical of a shorter trading week.
Across the country lamb production in April was the largest volume for the month on record according to Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).
Using figures recently released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, MLA said April’s production reached 37,445 tonnes (carcase weight).
This was one per cent higher than April 2013.
Lamb slaughter totalled 1.7 million head for the month, remaining firm year-on-year overall.
