Total clearances, along with higher top-prices and averages, have marked another successful Victorian ram selling season.
And as attention now moves to Tasmania, island stud Valma, run by Andrew and Caroline McLauchlan, set a $41,000 Australian record price for a Poll Dorset.
Many Victorian Merino studs recorded total clearances of their rams, with at least one doubling its top price on 2020.
And Border Leicester's again came to the fore, with Ian and Heather Baker's Geraldine stud, Clydebank, selling a ram for $30,250.
Stud stock agents said continued good seasonal conditions, high sheep meat prices and the bounce back in wool all contributed.
Nutrien Ag Solutions Stud Stock manager Andrew Sloan said the increase in top priceson 2020 ranged from hundreds, to thousands, of dollars.
"Producers are getting good money for their commercial stock, so they can put it back into better genetics," Mr Sloan said.
"They were just able to spend their money on better rams."
Prices seemed to improve every year - 'and we just hope it doesn't stop'.
He said he didn't expect the traditional meat breeds to be challenged any time soon.
"There is a fair bit of talk around the Aussie Whites, and other shedding breeds.
"They are a factor in the equation and will be a breed into the future, but I don't think people will be going out of Poll Dorsets, White Suffolks and other terminal breeds, any time soon."
He said he couldn't see why high prices would not continue, given fairly stable seasons and markets.
"We've seen bubble territory before where it gets so high, then crashes - we certainly don't want to see that again."
Elders Stud Stock manager Ross Milne said while averages were similar to last year, top-prices were higher.
Oakbank Merino and Poll Merino, Gre Gre, ram sale recorded its best-ever result with a total clearance of 84 rams at an average of $4146, while Glenara Merinos, Dunkeld achieved their highest ever top at $7400.
Waratah White Suffolks, Branxholme, also saw a total clearance of its draft of 81 rams to a top price of $15,000.
Mr Milne said he felt the continued high prices were down to good seasons and strong returns for lamb and mutton meant an improvement in confidence.
"Wool has made a bit of a recovery, from the same time last year," he said.
Mr Milne said the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic meant, for a second year, many studs again interfaced live auctions with online platforms.
"We still found the use of online platforms very influential for many sales," Mr Milne said.
"One thing we have found is most purchasers, who have been competing or looking at online platforms, have got more confidence in using them now."
He said it didn't seem to make a difference as to where rams went.
"We still had plenty of sales that went interstate
"Tasmania, NSW and SA, were still the most influential markets."
Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
