*172 rams sold to $8000, av $2471
Elders Bairnsdale held their annual Gippsland Merino Ram sale on Tuesday, in a new location next door to its office.
Despite the very dry conditions, stud principals presented their rams in very good condition.
Pendarra Merino & Poll Merino Stud, Benambra, offered 70 rams that sold to very strong demand giving Kelvin and Jackie Pendergast their best result.
The top priced ram, with an 18.5 micron fleece, displayed lots of length and bone and was knocked down for $8000.
It was the precursor to a very strong average of $3053 for all of the 70 rams the stud offered and sold.
The Pendarra Stud recieved the second and third highest prices of $6000 and $7500, which aided the strong average.
Bert and Brendan AhSam, Round Hill Merino Stud, Omeo, sold their top ram for $4250 to Darren Heywood of Omeo.
Roundhill averaged $2093 for their 16 rams.
Brendan AhSam said he was very happy with the result, especially given the extremely poor season in and around Omeo.
S and L Harrison’s Bindawarra Merino stud offered, and sold 58 rams to a top of $4000, averaging $2241.
A and J Stewart’s Stockton offered 24 rams, and sold 22 to average $1947, with their top being $4000.
The Fringe sold six rams at an average of $1000.
Stud owners said poor conditions were starting to hit, but that wasn’t evident in the standard of the stock on offer.
Bindawarra’s Steve Harrison said he was buying water, and had sent all his cattle away on agistment.
Other stud owners said times were very tough and could well get worse, before they got better.
Influenced by the state of the wool market, bidders from right across Victoria and New South Wales pushed this year’s average price for the 172 rams to $2471.
That was up considerably on last year’s record breaking average.
While wool prices are very strong, fat and store lamb prices, along with prices for mutton, are at record levels.
The combination of sheep producers having all three production items at this very high level, helped increase demand.
A feature of this sale was the level of bidding.
Opening offers were soon overtaken, and after lengthy bidding, sometimes for several thousands of dollars, the final prices were much better than could have been imagined by the vendors.
Competition from the Western District certainly put a floor in the sale, but local competition was equally as strong.