This week farmgate prices for works lambs held firm with major meat companies holding their schedules for the first time since late January.
The number of store lambs on offer doubled at this week's Temuka sale as a yarding of 3000 store lambs was met with subdued demand.
iFarm has adjusted their lamb price outlook downwards again this month with dry conditions boosting kill numbers and overseas markets still subdued.
A small number of cattle yarded at Rangiuru yesterday were met with a good crowd of usual buyers from around the BOP and surrounding areas like the King Country and Waikato.
Store lamb prices at Canterbury Park once again eased as the expectation of schedule prices continuing to do the same is hitting vendors in the pocket.
Feilding held its supplementary ewe fair with the store stock sale on Friday so the pens were full to over-flowing with close to 19,000 head on offer.
There is very little price support now for lamb prices at the farm-gate with meat company demand now waning as the Easter chilled trade draws to an end.
Farmgate prices for beef are heading south at present in both the North and the South Islands.
Demand from Korea for imported beef has been lacklustre this year, largely due to slowing consumer beef demand from a weak economy and increasing supplies of domestic beef.
Aussie lamb slaughter this year has been running constantly higher than last year. From Jan to Aug, lamb slaughter has hit close to 13m head according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 12% higher than the same period last year or an extra 1.4m lambs.
Meat processors have enough cattle to kill for the capacity that is on and prices have been steady to slightly weaker as a result.
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There was evidence at Temuka on Monday of the season for last year's lambs coming a close with a small offering of 650 of mainly small lines of mixed quality and condition.
With cattle keeping on top of feed, demand has been flat in the North Island. Store prices in the paddock have eased slightly although good quality cattle continue to sell well.
Despite a softening in the NZ dollar in recent days, export beef slaughter prices are still being hammered at the expense of the exchange rate.
The North Island lamb kill is beginning to lift off seasonal lows and this will begin to happen in the South Island as well over the coming weeks.