Although retreating from the extreme highs of $188/head a month ago, most NSW saleyards are recording peaks for the heavier lambs of as much as $150 to $160 a head.

Average prices for prime trade weight lambs on a cents a kilogram basis have come in at about 497c/kg in the past week.

This price is about 20c/kg behind the peak price last month, but about 30c/kg higher than at the same time last year.

And even though supplies remain limited and some processors have undertaken their annual maintenance shutdowns, there’s still plenty of competition between buyers in the saleyards.

Full market analysis in The Land, July 9.