While Young’s Burrangong Meat Processors ceased operations on Tuesday, standing down hundreds of workers, on the same day Forbes’ Midstate Saleyards achieved a record price for a pen of wethers.

Goulburn Abattoirs purchased the pen of wethers on Tuesday for $130 a head, far exceeding the previous high price for mutton at Forbes and setting what is believed to be a state record.

“It was one of the best prices seen in recent years and the producers and buyers estimate a dressed weight in excess of 35kg (per carcase),” said Kevin Miller, Whitty, Lennon and Co agent Geoff Chandler.

“The buyer was a meat processing export company and the price achieved was far in excess of whatever may have been the highest price for mutton sheep at these saleyards,” the experienced agent said.

Mr Chandler said the sheep were bred by CWJ and VM DeBritt of Tubbal, near Young, and when offered for sale produced stiff competition from NSW and interstate processors.

“We have had prices in the area of $110 to $115 [per head for mutton sheep] in recent times but nothing has ever made over $120… and we’ve never seen sheep make that much money in any other saleyard,” Mr Chandler said.

He said the price was due to a combination of factors, including the heavy weight of the sheep, a nation-wide scarcity of mutton sheep and strong demand from buyers of Australian mutton, like the Middle East.

“We have seen extremely good prices available to producers for nearly a year and that trend looks set to continue,” he said.

He said high prices were being achieved across the sheep meat industry, with lambs making up to $169 a head at the Forbes sale on Tuesday.

He estimated the size of the national flock had halved in the last 20 years and demand for Australian lamb and mutton was persistent.

“The market is very buoyant for this time of year, because of the strong export market and the urgency that processors are putting into the procurement of sufficient numbers to kill,” Mr Chandler said.