The downturn in the cruise industry has had a flow on into the Cowra lamb market.
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Cowra stock agent Craige Oliver explained the connection to the COVID-19 crisis and Australia's lamb market at last Friday's Cowra sheep and lamb sale.
Lamb numbers increased slightly at the Friday sale of 1500 sheep and lambs were mainly trade and heavy weight lambs were offered.
The extra heavy weight lambs, which are mainly sold to the export market sold from $180 to a top of $237/head.
"The market has come back basically to do with COVID and the export market," Mr Oliver said.
A large percentage of Cowra and Australian lambs sold for the export market go to the US and China.
"Of all the lambs that go to America, half the racks that go over there go to the cruise liner trader," Mr Oliver explained.
"They're (cruise ships) the biggest consumers of lamb racks in the world.
"The Chinese mainly buy your sheep and your plainer cuts of lamb but America was the main market for export lambs."
Mr Oliver explained the domestic market purchases the 20 to 25 kg lambs for local trade, supermarkets and Breakout River Meat and 80 per cent of lambs 26kg or better usually go overseas.
"The market has come off $60 to $70 in the past four weeks," he said, which has caused a profit squeeze for farmers who restocked earlier in the year at prices similar to those they are now seeing.
These restocker lambs were and still are coming out of areas like the Tablelands, Carcoar, Crookwell and Cooma which have't received the same favourable conditions as Cowra in recent months.
"Most paid around $170 to $200 for store lambs and the last couple of weeks lambs have only been making that," Mr Oliver said.
"Prices on Friday lifted $10 to $20, basically because everyone stopped yarding this week.
"Wagga's numbers were down by 20,000, maybe a few more.
"They've gone from yarding 33,000 or 34,000 two weeks ago to (Thursday) yarding 13,000 lambs and they've all fallen short this week," Mr Oliver said.
At Friday's Cowra sale trade new season lambs sold at firm rates with the 22 to 24kg types sold from $174 to $185/head. Trade weight old lambs were $9 dearer at $172 to $178/head. Heavy weight lambs were also dearer by $8/head.
"A few blokes have held back because they were getting $240 to $260 for the big heavy lambs, last week they were back to $200 and this week they were around $220.
"On the back of a good market they'll all yard next week and I would imagine (the market) will be cheaper," he said.