Merino and White Suffolk stud principals preview ram sale season

The state's ram selling officially kicks off in just one week, with the first sale of the season at Prairie.

Terrick West Poll Merinos stud principal Ross McGauchie will host Victoria's first ram sale on August 11, with 84 rams ready to go.

"Last year was the best sale we've ever had, we had a total clearance of a very-high average of $1000 on the year before's average," he said.

"Last year's records are the next year's problem."

He said he hoped people would maintain a demand for improving their flock genetics, and they often accommodated between 40 and 50 registered buyers each year.

"We're hoping given the reasonable season and prices coming back a bit on most of our commodities, people are still very keen on improving their animals," he said.

Mr McGauchie manages 1000 stud rams and 1200 flock ewes, and focuses on larger-frame Poll Merinos with frames over 100 kilograms and wool between 17-19 micron.

"Nobody knows what's going to happen but the sale at Bendigo (Australian Sheep & Wool Show Merino ram sale) was slightly up on average from the year before which probably surprised most people," he said.

"People are breeding good-quality stock, seasons come and go, prices come up and down, you have to be consistent with what you do and be in the position to go with it."

Elders stud stock manager Ross Milne said recent events including the Marnoo Merino field day and Australian Sheep & Wool Show were well-attended and showed market interest for Merinos.

"Things are shaping up pretty well," he said.

"There's a fair bit moving towards the start of the sales in the first couple of weeks of August and then through to September and October."

He said it seemed positive with "very sound" attention and numbers after a strong autumn.

"In terms of where we are with our ewe numbers out there, things are good and season looks to be reasonably stable coming into the ram selling season," he said.

"I think that should have a reasonably positive influence in terms of clearances and averages at some of these sales, particularly Merino sales.

"Quality is always very high and it has to be, it's a very competitive industry and the sheep are going to be presented as they usually are around the sale day."

Meanwhile, Omad White Suffolk stud principal Damian Hawker, Kaniva, will offer 120 White Suffolks and 30 Ultra-White/White Suffolks on September 14.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit concerned about the direction the industry has taken the past couple of weeks especially," he said.

"But we'll stay optimistic and work on the law of averages."

Mr Hawker said he hoped farmers would continue to focus on genetic improvement throughout harder years, and he believed there was a higher demand for White Suffolks.

"It's not about the highs and lows, it's about putting out a good product and riding the waves with it," he said.

"There seems to be a bit of hype in the industry with shedding breeds, they're taking a bit of spotlight.

"Farmers and older generations are wanting to simplify their farming business and shedding breeds are sliding into that element with low wool prices and high shearing costs.

"I wish everyone all the best for the season, there's still plenty of positives in the industry and there's nothing to say that the job won't improve soon."

Charinga Merinos stud principal Roger Polkinghorne, Berrimal, said he hoped for the market to remain firm, but he felt concerned about current prices for lamb and mutton.

"What we'd really like to see is meat, skin and wool prices stay at a firm level," he said.

"It's been very profitable in recent years and if you've got good sheep and productive sheep there's still a good profit margin in it.

"We'd like to see it return to the rates of last year but at the moment there's still a tendency to swing to cropping in dual-purpose country and that's all driven by price."

The Charinga-Banavie Poll Merino ram sale last year sold to $80,000, with this year's sale on October 2.

Mr Polkinghorne said he believed better rams would sell well and paddock-selected rams may be at a "lesser number".

"The stud breeders are all enthusiastic about their breeding programs and still focused on the best genetics they can get ahold of," he said.

He said people were busy with cropping programs but would start to focus on breeding over the coming weeks.

"Once they get a bit of sun, the sheep bloom and get more mature and get ready as the warmth comes, the rams become rams instead of lambs," he said.

Nutrien south-east stud stock manager Peter Godbolt said his expectations remained positive with clearance rates for the ram sales.

"Most people we've been speaking to are going to be in the market for rams as per normal, they may not buy as many but they'll be in the market for rams," he said.

"Whether the price is going to hold up with what is happening in the commercial sector and wool job, time will tell.

"The quality of the rams that we've seen so far is very strong and they'll rise to the top as they always do at the sales."