Our ewes are never as big and bloomy as Hay, so they didn't make as much, but in the current market, the decent lines of young ewes sold very well.
- Jason Pickering, Nutrien Ag Solutions
Scanned-in-lamb Merino ewes topped at just under $400 a head at the annual Swan Hill Stock Agents Association Annual Breeders Sale.
Agents sold 15,741 head, exclusively on Auctions Plus.
Jason Pickering, Nutrien Ag Solutions, said agents were pleased with the prices, based on current market rates.
"Our ewes are never as big and bloomy as Hay, so they didn't make as much, but in the current market, the decent lines of young ewes sold very well," Mr Pickering said.
"It was very good, under the current circumstances with that thing called coronavirus hanging over our heads."
He said the pandemic had knocked confidence, particularly with restrictions on processing capacity at abattoirs. Sheep went back into the paddocks locally, to Horsham and Bourke.
John Payne, Elders, said he thought the wether lambs sold very well.
Many of the older ewes went back into the paddock, while processors were also active.
"I know our lines of wether lambs, 45kg, were bought by Midfield, and other meatworks would also have bought them," he said.
He said there was still processing capacity available, with northern abattoirs taking on extra shifts.
"The gap (in Victoria) is being filled by other meatworks," Mr Payne said.
"In the last three weeks, we have seen demand come back, into the market."
John Sawyer, BR&C, said he also believed it was a strong sale, with local support strong for the wether lambs.
"It started off a little bit slowly, but then it really got going and reflected what's been happening around the area," Mr Sawyer said.
Not station mated ewes, ranging in age from 10-11months to six and half years old, sold from $172 to $253 a head.
Store wether lambs sold from $129.50 to $144.50, with the May-June 2020 drop stock, 44.7kg, going for 748.7cents/kilogram dressed.
May-June drop wether lambs, ranging in weight from 30.2kg to 45kg sold up to $150 a head.
Minyara, Morton Plains, topped the sale with 187 scanned in lamb Mulloorie-blood ewes to a Roger Brothers White Suffolk, 63.2kg, going for $360 a head. Minyara's second run of older Keri Keri blood SIL ewes, 23-24 months, averaging 66.3kg, sold for $354 a head.
BG Erhardt, Beulah, sold 160 NSM Eastville-blood NSM ewes, 14-15 months old, 64.9kg, for $253 a head. Erhardt's second draft of 160 sold for $255 a head.
DM Mertz & Sons, Pine Lodge, Moulamein, NSW, sold 300 Merino ewes, 18-19 months old, Avenel-blood, Pine Lodge bred, 56.7kg, for $291 a head.
I & K Gibson, Billamein, Moulamein, sold 285 Caroonboon-blood ewes, 14-15 months old, 54.5kg, for $281 a head.
Larnoo Nominees, Larnoo, Moulamein, sold 178 future breeder ewe hoggets, 17-18 months, 56.4kg, for $257 a head.
CA & VR Bell, Bono, Menindee, NSW, sold a draft of 407 May/June-drop wether suckers, 46.4kg, by Leachim-blood White Suffolk rams for $167 a head.
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