Low sheep numbers have been responsible for pushing prices up around the nation as live exporters try to shore up numbers to meet demand.

Recent Meat and Livestock Australia figures show Australia's sheep flock has dropped to 76.9 million head, the lowest on record since 1916.

Demand is increasing exponentially with the population growth in countries like the Middle East and Japan, and subsequently lamb slaughter has increased by 34 per cent over 12 years.

Sale yardings are also up by 15 pc on this time last year and record prices have been said to attract more sheep to sales.

The question is now whether growers will get back into sheep due to the higher prices.

Live exporters dominated the sale, taking home the majority of both wether and ewe lines.

Before the sale Livestock Shipping Services sheep buyer Chris Medcalf admitted prices would be pushed higher because of limited stock numbers.

Wellard Rural Exports sheep buyer Murray French purchased many lines of sheep, including the top priced wethers.

He said there was now a great opportunity for growers who had stuck with sheep to reap the benefits of good prices.

Mr French said sheep numbers were now at all time lows and to keep selling off sheep at the current rate was not sustainable, especially in WA.

"We can't keep this up for the simple reason that the sheep are not around, the flock has diminished," Mr French said.

"And wool has had a huge bearing on this fact."

Mr French said political issues like mulesing had been the straw that broke the camel's back for growers.

"Farmers have had enough and with politics on top they have had stepped out of the industry," he said.

"There are a number of reasons we now don't have enough sheep and it is not just because farmers have turned increasingly to cropping."

Mr French said many young farmers simply did not want to work with sheep.