JUST when you thought it couldn't get any crazier, the lamb market has.
A producer has paid the equivalent of 760c/kg carcass weight for lambs at Bendigo on Monday.
And over the border, rates hit 682c/kg carcass weight at Tamworth earlier this week.
While industry analysts are warning these are isolated cases, it demonstrates just how keen some producers are to buy in lambs.
The National Livestock Reporting Service report for Bendigo on Monday, filed by respected and experienced reporter Rob Huntington, quoted a pen of 60 new season's lambs made $82.
Mr Huntington reported the lambs were "very light and immature new season's young lambs".
They had an estimated carcass weight of 10kg, a $6 skin and came back at 760c/kg.
At Tamworth, NSW, the same day, a pen of 47 lambs sold again to a restocker for $73.20.
These lambs had an estimated carcass weight of 10kg, and a $5 skin, so equated to 682c/kg.
A NLRS spokesman said these prices were "isloated" and could not be seen as representative.
"You don't want to draw too many conclusions from it," he said.
"These are immature young lambs so the buyers are working on a dollar a head basis and what they are prepared to outlay."
