General News
13 October, 2024
Prices double on last year at annual off-shears sale in the Wimmera
Mallee-based farmers bought sheep to turn over as crops fail.
Prices nearly doubled on last year at the annual Nhill and Kaniva off-shears sale on Thursday, October 10.
While last year's sale marked a low point of the market, Mallee-based cropping farmers propped up the competition at the Nhill saleyards this year as they looked to buy into the sheep market amid failing crops due to frost and lack of rain.
Among the 5000 Merino sheep yarded, the wether lambs were an unexpected highlight of the market.
The top-end of the lambs made between $90-$102 a head, and the secondary runs made from $60-$80.
Vendor Craig Smith, Yanac, topped the Merino lamb market with a surprising high of $102 for 273 of his September-shorn, Gunallo-blood wether lambs.
"I was very happy with that, it was much more than I expected, I thought they'd make around $80," Mr Smith said.
"It would be close to double what we made last year."
He also sold a pen of 161 secondary Gunallo-blood, October-shorn wether lambs which made $82.
Mr Smith's lambs were bought by Mallee-based PPHS livestock agent Paul Kinnaird, who picked up several pens for clients at Pinnaroo, SA, and Lameroo, SA.
"We've experienced some lost crops due to the frost and lack of rain so we're just seeking some good lambs and ewes to turn some sheep over," Mr Kinnaird said.
Mr Kinnaird picked up nearly 1000 Merino ewes and lambs to a top of $100.
He was chasing Glenlea Park and Gunallo bloodlines.
"This is my first time here and I thought it was a bit stronger than some sales have been but the stock are better and presented really well," he said.
Westech Ag Kyle Livestock agent Stuart Kyle said wether lambs sold $5-$10 better than expected.
"And our ewes were right where we thought they'd be - they presented well and were reasonable buying," he said.
"Last year I don't think we cracked $50 for the lambs, and we're $50 better in the ewes as well."
The 1.5-year-old Merino ewes sold first, and to the top of the market.
The Clark family, Kiata, sold the first and top-priced pen of the sale which made $172 for their 130 Merino ewes.
The top pen was bought by Shane Dodson and will go back to Lillimur near the South Australian border.
Vendor Alan Bennett, Yanac, sold four pens of 16-month-old, August-shorn, Glenlea Park-blood Merino ewes.
His first pen and top pen made $168 while his secondary lines in his fourth pen made $118.
"It dropped away between my first and second lines and I was a bit surprised at the difference because it's only on weight," Mr Bennett said.
"They are the same breeding and the same drop and in 12 months' time you wouldn't really notice a difference between any of them really.
"I supposed that's reflective of people who want to join them in the next couple of weeks.
"A higher body weight equates to generally a higher conception rate.
"I was very happy with how the tops sold though."
DMD agent Andrew McIllree, Nhill, said all in all he was very happy with the sale.
"It was what we expected it to be but also a little bit better than we thought on the top end," he said.
"It's been a very tough year and we knew it was going to be a challenging sale because of it but we thought the sheep sold pretty well considering how dry it is up here."
Mr McIllree said the size, growth and breeding of the top pens pushed them to the top of the market.
"People were looking for the biggest and the best sheep and they were up the front and sold as such," he said.
"They are in good enough condition to join straight away so people get an early lamb next year."
The sheep sold back to the local area, stretching down to Stawell, Hamilton and to the South Australian border.
SH, AF, AM & RA Clark sold 130 Merino, July-shorn, Hilton Heath-blood ewes for $172.
E Dart & Sons sold 193 June-shorn, Oakbank-blood Merino ewes for $170.
B & C Blackwood sold 118 August-shorn, Kiandra-blood Merino ewes for $162.
CA & JM Smith sold 239 August-shorn, Glenlea Park-blood Merino ewes for $156.