*187 of 202 Merino rams sold to $9000, av $2830
Bindawarra Merino stud has risen to the top of a multi-vendor ram sale in Gippsland more than a decade since it last topped the auction with a Merino sire.
The Giffard West stud, run by Steve and Lisa Harrison, sold 63 of 67 rams at the annual sale on Tuesday, including the two top-priced lots for $9000 and $7500, respectively.
Six Gippsland vendors took part in the sale, with Bindawarra the only stud to retain their entire draft of rams at home, as opposed to displaying them at the East Gippsland Livestock Exchange in Bairnsdale.
It was the first time the auction had been held at the Bairnsdale saleyard, and the first in-person sale in two years after the event was forced online in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19.
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The impressive result, however, did not match last year's top price record of $12,000 for a ram sold by the Pendergast family of Pendarra Merino and Poll Merino stud, Benambra.
Ram sale results at a glance:
- Pendarra sold 71 of 76 lots offered to $6500
- Bindawarra sold 63 of 67 lots offered to $9000
- Roundhill sold 19 of 20 lots offered to $4750
- Stockton sold 18 of 24 lots offered to $5000
- The Fringe sold nine of 12 lots offered to $3750
- Nicholson River sold a total clearance of six lots to $4500
The AuctionsPlus only sale attracted 55 bidders from across Victoria, NSW and Tasmania to record an overall average of $2830, down from last year's average of $3381.
Bindawarra Merino stud principal Steve Harrison said the two top-priced rams were bought by long-term South Gippsland clients.
"It's been 13 years since Bindawarra has topped the sale and we've only had the stud for 12 years and we also sold the second top-priced ram so we're extremely happy," he said.
"We offered two thirds poll rams and we have deliberately invested in poll ewes which isn't cheap, but it certainly has paid dividends today.
"A majority of the clients are looking for poll rams, but having said that a lot of clients don't mind the horned rams and we had clients purchase both."
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The top-priced polled ram, Lot 101, was sired by Charinga Big Boy via artificial insemination and out of a Bindawarra stud ewe.
"He was one of the heaviest two rams in the catalogue and his wool quality and the potential to continue to grow is probably the key with that ram," Mr Harrison said.
"He's only just broken his teeth and he weighed about 105 kilograms for a 17.5 micron wool."
The Harrisons were the only stud principals to retain their entire draft of rams at home in their Giffard West shearing shed, largely due to concerns around foot and mouth disease.
"It also helped with the welfare of the rams - they weren't travelling all the way to Bairnsdale - and all the way back again," Mrs Harrison said.
The remaining five studs displayed their rams at the saleyard in Bairnsdale.
The two top-priced lots were purchased by Jenny Foat and her son Ryan Foat, Woodside, for $9000 and $7500.
The mother-son duo have been long-term purchasers of Bindawarra rams and run a commercial operation which joins about 4000 ewes in South Gippsland.
"My late husband Greg started with Bindawarra before his death eight years ago and our farm manager, Travis Scott, has continued using Bindawarra genetics as the backbone of our breeding operation," Mrs Foat said.
"This is the most we've spent on a ram so it's quite exciting."
Mr Scott said a component of the commercial operation was a self-placing ram program.
"These two rams will have 50 selected ewes joined to them in December to produce our future sires with close consultation with our wool agent, Jarrod Demaro, from Nutrien Mansfield," he said.
"Jenny and Ryan are both very confident and passionate about where the wool industry is heading and this purchase is evident of their optimism.
"One of the reasons we use Bindawarra is because the wool has its own unique style, its bright whiteness and suitability in wet weather which we've found to be highly sought after."
Among the volume buyers was one Yarck-based purchaser who bought 18 rams from the Bindawarra stud alone.
Prior to the sale, vendors from the Gippsland studs made a special presentation to sale organiser and Elders Gippsland district wool manager Mal Nicholls.
After close to 30 years in the job, Mr Nicholls is due to step down from his wool agent role, passing the baton onto new district wool manager, Madi Gallagher.
Breeders ironically presented Mr Nicholls with a woolen jumper and tree for his garden.
Mr Nicholls said he was grateful for the opportunity to work with woolgrowers across Gippsland.
"I did get a bit emotional there for a moment, but I was pretty busy too which wasn't a bad thing at the time," he said.
"The venue was terrific, the display came up well and we had a really good clearance and while our average price was back on last year, it was a pretty good result overall."
Bryce Eishold
Bryce is a senior journalist with Australian Community Media's Stock & Land where he reports on all aspects of agriculture. Bryce is also the president of the Rural Press Club of Victoria. Email Bryce at bryce.eishold@stockandland.com.au.
Bryce is a senior journalist with Australian Community Media's Stock & Land where he reports on all aspects of agriculture. Bryce is also the president of the Rural Press Club of Victoria. Email Bryce at bryce.eishold@stockandland.com.au.
