One thing is certain about this livestock industry, and I'll contradict myself here - when something happens it doesn't always mean it will bring change.

OK, trying to explain a little, !I'll try to explain.

After heavy rains, numbers usually drop away sharply if they've been reasonably high, and prices - if not all that great - normally get dearer, due to a shorter supply.

Last Thursday we had heavy overnight rains - most areas around Shepparton received 20 mm to 50 mm.

However, most lamb supplies were already on the way to the Shepparton market on Friday, which saw quite a contrast in prices compared to the previous Friday.

No, they weren't dearer - they were, in fact, $10 to $20/head cheaper.

Perhaps it was a little too soon after the rain and possibly this week's earlier held markets will see all livestock numbers - cattle, sheep and lambs - at most of MLA's NLRS reported centres come back.

The heavy rains sweeping down from the north will certainly help fill dams, but follow-up rain will be needed to maintain pastures plus good early autumn rains as well.

Sheep and lambs

Turning our attention to last week's sales, at last week's MLA's NLRS reported centres, lamb supplies increased by 40 per cent due to Ballarat's large penning of more than 36 000 head (no sale there the previous week).

Year-on-year lamb supply lifted 35 per cent for the corresponding week, while the sheep supply gained 11 per cent for a year-on-year comparison.

Up until last Friday's Shepparton market, lamb prices remained solid; light lambs fully equal while most trade and heavy lambs were dearer; extra heavy lambs at Bendigo sold to $172/head and nearly all trade and heavies to processors ranged 440 to 500/kg.

Demand for sheep also remained strong, the few exceptions were very light one-scores which eased back, and one draft of extra heavy Merino woolly wethers at Bendigo sold to $125.60/head.

Cattle

Two weeks of hot weather and drying winds pushed the cattle supply much higher at last week's MLA's NLRS reported centres.

Numbers jumped dramatically by more than one third to the highest for a long time.

The Australia Day holiday where three markets didn't operate was the major factor, but increased supplies at nearly all other centres too had quite an effect.

Amazingly though - and this relates to the opening paragraph - the best quality young cattle were dearer; B-muscled vealers returned to prices over 200/kg, tops to 204/kg, with light calves to 210/kg.

The better quality yearlings sold 140 to 170/kg with grown steers and bullocks slightly dearer making 142 to 164/kg.

Cows went against the trend averaging unchanged to 5/kg easier, three and four-scores 115 to 133/kg, one and twoscores 75 to 112/kg.