THE NSW Trade Lamb Indicator sailed past the 1000 cents a kilogram (carcase weight) mark on Tuesday evening.
This is the first time that indicator has climbed above 1000c/kg according to Meat and Livestock Australia's database which goes back to the year 2000.
NSW trade lambs jumped another 30c/kg in the past week and also sit 370c/kg higher than this time last year.
Heavy lambs were also dearer hitting an average of 988c/kg, while the Restocker Lamb Indicator came off the boil a little this week to settle at 1089c/kg on Tuesday.
Breaking down the sale figures further, trade lambs sold at southern NSW saleyards were dearer than the rest of the state and averaged 1004c/kg.
Meanwhile, the strength of the restockers were most evident in the north of the state where restocker lambs averaged 1178c/kg and well in front of saleyards in central and southern NSW.
Young cattle surge towards 800c/kg
THE Australian Stock Exchange may have been on the slide again this week, but it's certainly not flowing through to cattle prices which continued the determined charge higher.
On Tuesday evening the Eastern Young Cattle Indicator had smashed through another record to hit 762 cents a kilogram (carcase weight).
That's now a very beefy 377c/kg higher than this time last year.
Markets in the northern half of NSW and up into Queensland have recorded average prices for yearlings and vealers well above the EYCI in the past week.
This suggests the EYCI may still climb a little higher before it finds a ceiling or experiences a correction.
At Tamworth prime sale on Monday yearling and vealers averaged 837.50c/kg which was about 63c/kg higher than the sale a week earlier.
At Wagga Wagga on the same day young cattle averaged 768c/kg, also higher than the EYCI.
The heat in the market was evident at Carcoar prime sale on Tuesday as yearlings and vealers averaged 840c/kg, while at Gunnedah the average was closer to 778c/kg.
Nowra store cow units sell to $2500
COWS with calves sold to a top of $2500 a unit during the Nowra store cattle sale last Thursday.
Jess Lewis from Jim Hindmarsh and Company reported the weaner steers sold from $200 to $610, while the heifers made $195 to $930 a head.
The cows with calves were in demand and sold from $940 to $2500.
Merino ewes to $315/head on AuctionsPlus
SHEEP continue to move across the country as a result of sales on AuctionsPlus during the past week.
Zoe Macfarlan from AuctionsPlus said ongoing strong demand in NSW and Victoria has meant these buyers have secured stock from Western Australia and Tasmania.
"Central Western NSW was again the most successful purchasing region, acquiring 15,773 of the total 88,018 head offered last week," she said.
The recent rain, has lead to further buyer confidence among the Eastern States.
Ms Macfarlan said Merino ewe prices remained strong last week with a $25 a head increase on the average from the week before.
Merino ewe hoggets recorded the largest price increase selling from $165 to $315 to average $226, up $51 on last week.
"The top price came from a line of 57kg not-station-mated (NSM) ewe hoggets from Rocklyn Merinos at Grenfell," she said. These ewes were Rocklyn Merino blood and will remain locally.
A line of 620 NSM ewes from Dorothy Mathews, Ilfracombe, Qld, have a long 1500km trek ahead of them to Forbes. Selling for $219, these two-year-old ewes weighed 37kg.
"Young Merino breeders (two to four years) returned a 100 per cent clearance and a slight increase on the average from the week before, being $244, up $9 with prices ranging from $141 to $357," she said.
"A line of 330 scanned-in-lamb (SIL) ewes from NF and BT Templeton Manangatang, Vic, achieved the top price of $357. These ewes weigh 71kg, were June/July 2017 drop and had a 1.5 inch skin.
"Other highlights include a slightly heavier mob offered by the same vendor for 109 SIL ewes weighing 72kg, May/June 2017 drop, which sold for $343."
Proven Merino breeders (four to seven years) sold from $129 to $302, averaging $224.
