Although not hitting the extremes of other Riverina sheep sales no fewer than eleven sale lots of 2016-drop black-tag young ewes recorded prices above $200 and to a top of $230 a head at Deniliquin sheep breeders Merino and crossbred sale on Friday.
Offered among a 14,600-head penning, the market toppers were an August-shorn line of 421 East Mundulla-blood young ewes, May/June 16-drop sold for Gnadro Pastoral, Epsom Downs to Landmark Deniliquin.
Also among the leading sales were 2400 Banyandah Pastoral ewes, Bundy-blood, sold for Ian and Camelia Shippen from their Bundyalumbah, Blue Gate and Liewah properties located around Moulamein.
These made from $185, to $212 a head on two occasions, with repeat and new buyers from Horsham, Bendigo, Deniliquin, Griffith and Shepparton all acquiring a sample while a February-shorn line of Prairie Home young ewes, Woodpark-blood, was also well supported to $210.
Elders Deniliquin livestock manager and auctioneer, Jason Andrews said buyer support was solid but without being animated.
“We didn’t see the highs of other Riverina sales but our overall average will stand the test” he said.
“The better-end of our prices of $200 to $230 was a fair result considering our sheep didn’t present as well as they might while prices of $170 to $200 for our second-drafts was an excellent result especially given the year these sheep have experienced” he said.
Other 2016-drop drafts worthy of mention included 111 Mooloomoon ewes, July-shorn, Goolgumbla-blood sold at $190, 312 Glencairn, Jerilderie ewes, March-shorn, Mullorie-blood – $190 and 377 Singorimbah, Carrathool ewes, July-shorn, Goolgumbla-blood – $188.
We didn’t see the highs of other Riverina sales but our overall average will stand the test"
- Jason Andrews, Elders
Two lines of Dohne ewes won great support on the day. Carooboon sold 356 Calgra Uardry-blood, July-shorn young ewes at $182 to Landmark Echuca while Cumbagunda, Denilquin sold an August-shorn, Uardry-blood line at $168 a head: these selling to interests at Echuca and Lake Cargelligo.
The interest in breeding ewes in the older age groups continued without hesitation. The best priced was a 621-head line of 12-drop, 5.5 year-old ewes, February-shorn and Woodpark-blood that made $178 a head for Andrew Burge, Prairie Home, Denilquin while Graeme Allit, Singorimbah sold, at $130 a head, 700 of the same age, September-shorn, Goolgumbla-bood.
A line of Singorimbah’s year-older, 11-drop ewes, mouthed and bagged, made $110/head.
Sales of Merino wether lambs won the underpinning support of the processing trade. Although securing only one lot export buyer Midfield claimed 283 Widgimer wether at $96 while a pen of Caroonboon Dohne lambs topped sales, selling unshorn at $110.
Other restocker-purchased wether lambs, unshorn, generally made $78-$90 while an August shorn lot of Poll Merino/Dohne wether lambs made $84.
Three sales of crossbred young ewes began the sale and were cleared with a $200/head-plus price tag. These were annual drafts by Cumnock Park – 128 February-shorn Border Leicester/Merino-cross sold at $210 while Kapunda sold two August 16-drop yards at $226 and $218 a head.
