Friday, March 29, 2024

Ram demand strong

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Strong demand for good, versatile flock rams was a sign there is still confidence in the sheep industry, livestock broker John Harrison says.
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Harrison, of Peter Walsh and Associates (PWA), said the 15th annual Glenloe onfarm Dohne ram sale in the Waimakariri River Gorge had attracted a strong buyer gallery from across the country with an international buyer also in the running.

Run in conjunction with Hazlett Rural, the sale offered 30 rams that realised a full clearance.

The top price of the day was $4100 with most of the rams selling for four figures.

The versatility of the Dohne genetics was gaining popularity, Harrison said.

“The genetics are improving all the time, the product kills out well with good yields and any store stock has also become very sought after,” he said.

Vendor Richard Loe’s selective breeding had resulted in a fertile ram that had produced a ewe capable of carrying a good fleece and also with good mothering traits to produce lambs with high growth rates.

The Dohne was developed in 1939 by the South African Department of Agriculture to merge fine wool and good slaughter lamb production in a fertile, hardy and easy-care sheep.

Loe said clients returning to his annual sale proved the Dohne ram had improved, breeding flocks across a vast range of breeds. 

Over the years his rams had gone as far north as Hawke’s Bay and to Balclutha in the south.

This year he had an Argentinian bidding on two of the rams.

“Unfortunately for him he was outbid on both of them.”

His plan had been to export the live genetics to Argentina.

In his own farming business Loe said his ewe flock was now producing 20.5 micron wool, this year’s lamb crop had tailed out at an average 155% and hogget fleece was at 18.5 microns.

Faith in good genetics generally had set the sheep industry in good heart in recent times and strong interest was expected at capital stock ewe fairs in the New Year, Harrison said.

Meanwhile, low lamb slaughter rates continued to prove a challenge for exporters this season with United Kingdom domestic lamb producers readying themselves to capitalise on the shortfall of imports.

A combination of the smallest lamb crop since 1953 and a lack of sun causing very slow lamb growth rates meant the slaughter season kicked off at a very sluggish pace as farmers with an abundance of feed kept lambs for higher weights.

Slaughter rates were more than 30% below last year and export lamb processing numbers for the first three months of the season, October-December, were expected to be back by 11% on last season, Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s 2016 Lamb Crop report forecast.

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