Australia-Christmas lamb trade firm.

AUSTRALIA.

LAMB AND MUTTON TRADE FIRM.

The year ended with a surge in the price of store sheep in Australia, as many of the breeding flock were slaughtered in June to September.

Good rain has given farmers a bit of hope, for the future of the sheep industry and although not quite rain fever, they were pushing store lambs up by AU$15-20 per head at the end of last week.

The export plants are hungry for lamb and mutton sheep, the low Australian dollar has made the export prices very attractive to foreign buyers.

There have not been the usual big numbers of lambs on offer this year, as the rain has caused the farmers to hold on to their lambs, to let them gain a bit of extra weight.