The NSW lamb market opened the week dearer, in part due to a reduction in supply.
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Some auctions also recorded renewed restocker demand, while domestic butchers picked up the pace to secure the quality pens.
Supply slipped at Dubbo's sale on Monday, but there were some good heavy weight new season lambs offered which attracted solid buyer competition.
All up, 13,500 lambs were offered, which was back 5100 head on last week's sale.
Meat and Livestock Australia reported new season lambs suitable for the domestic markets were $6 to $9 a head dearer, selling from $58 to $118, with most making between 460 and 475 cents a kilogram (carcase weight).
Old trade lambs were also $8 to $15 dearer and the 20kg to 24kg lambs sold from $74 to $121. Most made from 410c/kg to 455c/kg.
Heavy lambs were $4 dearer, with the old lambs weighing 24kg to 30kg selling from $115 to $135.
The sucker lambs more than 24kg sold from $118 to $138 to average 485c/kg.
Additional buyers, both domestic and export, were present at Corowa and the tempo lifted across the sale.
MLA reported the quality improved and prices were firm to stronger across the lamb run.
New season light and medium trade lambs increased in supply, with prices up to $14 dearer and selling from $92 to $125.
Heavy trade lambs were in demand and forced prices up $5; most sales were from $112 to $137.
Strong competition between processors and restockers for the light lamb offering resulted in gains from $5 to $11.
Processors were keen to operate across the freshly shorn portion of old lambs, with heavy and extra heavy weights gaining $10 to sell for as much as $170.
It was also another smaller than usual penning of lambs at Tamworth on Monday, although supplies were steady compared with last week's sale.
MLA said the quality of the lambs was mixed and there was a larger percentage of Dorpers plus a few pens of well-finished new seasons.
The old lambs appeared to be the tail end of last year's production.
The dearer sales were a result of a lack of suitable lambs to suit the local butcher requirements.
Old lambs weighing more than 24kg were about $8 a head dearer and topped at 436c/kg.
The 18kg to 20kg sucker lambs bought by processors were limited and that resulted in prices lifting about $2 a head and topping at 455c/kg.
Meanwhile, supply surged at Wagga Wagga last Thursday and while not all domestic buyers managed to make it to the sale, prices remained strong throughout and gained momentum as it progressed.
Supermarkets and major export companies actively bid for well-finished lambs which had been transported from distant locations such as Longreach in Queensland, Broken Hill, Hay, Cooma and the NSW coast.
The demand for new season lambs in the trade market remained solid, consistently selling between 500c/kg and 525c/kg.
Young lambs weighing between 21kg and 24kg were sold within the range of $110 to $135.
In the heavy export market, all major companies were active in buying both young and heavy old lambs. Young lambs between 26kg and 30kg sold from $142 to $152.
