Two long-term Gippsland farming families have shared the volume-buying honours at Pinora Poll Dorset's 2023 ram sale, taking home six rams respectively to their operations at Glengarry and Buchan South.
The Sundermann family sold 47 of 72 Pinora rams aged 1.5 years at its annual on-property spring sale on Wednesday, recording a top price of $1500 twice and an average of $1030.
Pinora Poll Dorsets stud co-principal Kelvin Sundermann, Heyfield, said he was "reasonably pleased" with the auction result on the back of easing lamb prices at saleyards in Victoria and NSW.
Three buyers bought the first eight pens of rams at the auction in a sale which lasted just 24 minutes with Nutrien Greenwood Livestock auctioneer Gordon Conners at the gavel.
"It's pretty tough going, so we weren't expecting to be having full clearances and things like that," Mr Sundermann said.
"The market has everyone a bit befuddled I suppose because no one knows why the market has fallen like it has, but it's bloody tough."
The 2023 result was a vastly different result from 12 months ago when the stud recorded a total clearance of 71 rams to a top price of $3000 and an average of $2340.
"We were rapt with how the lambs presented because it was a bit of a battle early on," Mr Sundermann said.
"We were pretty ordinary three months ago and it's been only in the last fortnight or so that we've had 150 millimetres of rain.
"That rain turned our season around really because the rams really struggled through winter."
The Sundermanns started the stud in 1980, alongside their Angus operation, and said the Poll Dorset breed was suited to many applications.
"Poll Dorsets produce great, maturing fat lambs and you can get them off as a sucker, or you can grow them a bit further and get them to heavier weights," he said.
Among the volume buyers was the Hayes and Schmidt family, trading as Pine Grange Pastoral, Glengarry, along with high country purchaser, Barry Cameron, trading as JM & AM Cameron, from Buchan South.
Pine Grove Pastoral and the Camerons bought six rams to $1400 and $1300, respectively.
Meanwhile, Alan Paulet, trading as Millring, Toongabbie, bought five rams to $1000, while Gregor McNaughton, Seaspray, bought four rams to $1000.
Chris and Mary Wheeler, Buchan South, bought four rams to $1100 with on-the-ground support from farm manager Geoff Cameron and Bill Wyndham & Co livestock manager Colin Jones.
"When you have buyers with the likes of Barry Cameron, the Wheelers, the Paulets and the Hayes who come back year-on-year, it shows we're doing something right and the sheep are doing the job," Mr Sundermann said.
The top-priced lots were bought by brothers Robert and Tom Anton, A & P Anton & Sons, Toongabbie, who paid $1500 a head for Lots 5 and 6.
"We've been buying Pinora rams for a long time and we also buy bulls off them too," Robert Anton said.
"Pinora rams produce good lambs and help us get heavy trade weights above 26 kilograms.
"I couldn't tell you how many rams we've bought from them, but we buy two to five rams each year and have been buying rams from them since their first sale."
The Anton's operation comprises 1500 ewes for fat lamb production and between 80-100 Angus breeders.
Nutrien Greenwood Livestock agent Ian Baker said the auction result was reflective of the situation unfolding in saleyards across eastern Australia.
"I thought given the circumstances and the way the season has been here in Gippsland, along with the current market values, we got out of it pretty well," he said.
"The average was $1000-odd and last year we averaged $2000 so everything is back about 50 per cent on what it has been."
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.
