2025: Record lamb prices and ‘tight supply’

14 Jan 2026

Key points

Lamb values reached record highs in 2025.
The supply squeeze was predominantly about finish and specification.
Price strength was amplified by perceptions of scarce supply, even though production remained relatively solid.

Lamb prices reached unprecedented levels in 2025, with the Heavy Lamb Indicator peaking at 1,245¢/kg carcase weight (cwt) in August. The key question for producers isn’t about how high prices went, but how the market got there and why the recurring ‘limited supply’ narrative didn’t necessarily mean lamb numbers had significantly reduced.

Major drivers through winter were quality and finish. The market consistently rewarded well-finished lambs that met processor and supermarket specifications. Premiums held for top-end drafts, while averages softened when the offering lacked finish. This distinction matters because it can create the impression of a widespread shortage, even when overall lamb availability is reasonable. When buyers struggle to secure enough lambs that fit grid requirements, competition intensifies quickly. This lifts prices, even if total production is only marginally lower year-on-year.

Importantly, supply wasn’t collapsing. MLA’s Industry Projections estimated 2025 lamb production at 610,000 tonnes. This figure is 3% below 2024 but still 1.8% above 2023, when oversupply was a key theme. That context suggests the 2025 price outcome was shaped as much by procurement pressure and market demand, as it was by the headline production number.

New season dynamics also influenced the August peak. Poor weather in southern regions delayed the usual new season flush, contributing to a short-term supply gap at a time when demand remained firm. As spring progressed, new season lambs began to drive market activity and generally achieved stronger prices than older drafts. Demand stayed selective, however. Lambs with better presentation and finish held value more consistently than plainer offerings.

From an on-farm perspective, 2025 reinforced a practical takeaway. In years when the market is nervous about supply, the strongest upside tends to sit with lambs that hit weight and fat specifications cleanly. On-farm management decisions that protect finish can be the difference between good and exceptional price outcomes.

This article is part of MLA’s Top 10 trends impacting 2025 series. Access the full 2025 Top 10 for more insights across cattle, sheep, goat and live export markets.

Attribute content to Emiliano Diaz, MLA Senior Market Information Analyst

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