Quantities were higher than first rostered, resulting in a slightly increased offering on the previous sale.

Nationally, 40,165 bales were available to the trade.

Compared with the corresponding sale of the previous season, 179,089 fewer bales were offered, a reduction of 14.8 percent.

In the Northern region, Thursday’s sale was the smallest merino fleece offering in 12 months. The weekly total was the smallest sale in almost five years.

As in recent weeks, the rise of the market was gradual but sustained. Prices continually increased as the series progressed.

By the end of the sale, the prices being achieved were generally 10 to 20 above those seen in the previous week.

The only exception to this was a larger than normal superfine offering in the Southern region (due in part to M33 being a Tasmanian Origin feature sale), which saw 18.0 micron and finer fall by 15 to 25 cents.

The AWEX Eastern market indicator (EMI) added 24 cents to close the week at 1,968 cents.

The EMI has now increased for seven consecutive sales, adding 119 cents since Week 24.

The crossbreds attracted extremely strong support, helping to push some prices to record levels and contributing to the healthy rise of the EMI.

The Micron Price Guides (MPG) in Sydney and Melbourne centres, posted their highest recorded levels of 1083 and 1103 cents respectively.

In the Southern region, the MPG for 30 micron is also now at a record.

It is the first time since the AWC/AWEX series commenced in 1979, that it has been over 900 cents (previous high was in 2015, just shy of 900).

The national offering increases again for Week 34. Currently there are 42,7469 bales rostered for sale in Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle.