Australia: Rain re-energizes store lamb & sheep market

The Eastern States Trade Lamb Indicator (ESTLI) picked up 28¢ week on week, to sit at 681¢/kg cwt. This is 112¢ (-14%) below the same time last year. In the West, trade lambs also met stronger buying activity, and the indicator picked up 59¢ to 542¢/kg cwt, 141¢ lower than the same time last year.Restocker lamb prices improved in all eastern states, but still have a long way to go before they recover from the decline that began at the end of February. The National Restocker Lamb Indicator lifted 42¢ this week to 572¢/kg cwt, down 281¢ (-33%) Year on Year.Light lambs were steady on last week, while Merino lambs lost 25¢. Heavy lambs edged higher, with saleyard reports indicating that mixed quality saw well-bred and well-fed lines improving while plainer types dragged.Mutton continued its upward trajectory thanks to the widespread rain. Both NSW and Vic saw around a 25¢ lift in mutton prices and the National Mutton Indicator improved another 18¢ on the week to 344¢/kg cwt.In good ...