PGG Wrightson agent and auctioneer Neil Common said it was hard to say why prices were rising so fast this early in winter.
"Normally it's late July and August when prices rise. Perhaps it's the mild winter but more likely it's a genuine shortage of trading stock.
"There has been a $10-$15 lift in every size and sex of lambs and earlier than other years."
During last summer's drought big numbers of trading stock left Hawke's Bay for the South Island and wetter areas of the North Island. The effects of that are showing up now.
"The demand has been incredible and I can't altogether put on finger on why. It could be that lambs were finished earlier in the good autumn we had so aren't available for later," Mr Common said.
The situation applies to all classes of stock, sheep and beef, prime and store.
Store cattle prices rose faster than the meat schedules. Traditional breed R2 steers sold particularly well.
"It's hard to see where the margin will be on some of them with prices over the $3/kg mark."
Mr Common said the price of prime ewes was getting close to the record highs of 2012/13 when China was active in the export market.
Good in-lamb ewes scanned with a good percentage were making up to $164 while lesser types or run-with-ram still broke the $100 mark.
The best prime lambs were regularly making around $150 with the best of them topping $160. Smaller ewe lambs also topped $110-$115.
"I hope it's sustainable."
Mr Common said farmers were smiling with their fingers crossed for a good lambing and calving season.
The regular rain had lifted ground moisture levels leading to confidence in a good spring, he said.
"It's been a season from heaven."¦
