JUST when you thought ewe prices couldn’t get any dearer - a new state record was achieved at Benalla’s annual sheep sale on Friday.
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At $268 a head, the pen of 1.5 year-old Border Leicester-Merinos were sold by Rob and Tim Hayes, Tarcombe Herefords, Ruffy, to Pullantarno Pastoral Company, Merryjig Park, near Mansfield.
The Hayes’ entire draft of 465 averaged $249, which was a remarkable $60 dearer than last year’s sale.
“It’s unbelievable. We were hoping to get a top of $250, but to average near that is amazing,” said Rob Hayes, who also topped last year’s Benalla sale.
Rodwell’s John Gregory said buyers had begun to realise there weren’t many sheep around.
“I’ve been to a lot of sales and I would say this one was $30-$50 dearer than any sale I’ve been to recently,” Mr Gregory said.
With comments amongst the bustling Benalla crowd there were “more cars than sheep” - the yarding sold mostly to Bendigo, Gippsland, Western district, upper Murray, Riverina and local regions.
Ewe lambs fetched similarly impressive rates.
The top pen of 170 BLMs, March 2010-drop and October-shorn, saw bids rise to $202.
Brothers, Mark and Graeme Schreiber of Strathallan at Boweya, were ecstatic with the result.
“We got around $130 for last year’s sheep, so this was really good,” Mark said.
“This year has been incredible though. We’ve never been able to grow them as good as this before.”
Wether lambs topped at $109.
However, most returned $95-$105, with Mr Gregory saying the sale was clearly underpinned by a buoyant prime lamb market.
*Full report in this week's Stock & Land.
