There was a consistent premium of at least $20 a head over the corresponding meat schedule value and up to $30 to $40 for the higher priced stock as farmers show confidence in the outlook for the year ahead.
The Feilding sale had 13,000 ewes, with a top price for Romney two-tooths of $202. The range for the two-tooths was from $170, PGG Wrightson’s Feilding livestock manager Maurice Stewart said.
In the mixed-age capital stock class, the best four-tooth ewes sold up to $200, with the six-tooths topping at $190 with others in the $170 to $190 range.
Stewart said the best five-year ewes were at $160 with a range from $130. Tail-end stock sold at $100.
“It was solid right through, very firm with buyers confident and everyone going away happy.”
The sheep and the buyers were from the wider Manawatu and Wanganui areas, up into Taihape, and livestock was in very good condition, he said.
At the 11,000-ewe yarding at Te Kuiti, the best four-tooths from a capital stock offering sold up to $200, NZ Farmers Livestock stud stock adviser Brent Bougen said. The six-tooths topped at $180.
“Those four to six-tooths sold in the $150 to $200 range and that was very pleasing. It was a strong market.”
Steady rain all day didn’t deter buyers, who paid up to $180 for the top five-year ewes and $140 for the six-year animals.
Most ewes were in very good condition but others were showing signs of the dry conditions pre-Christmas or of late weaning.
At $180 ewes are $30 to $40 up on their mutton schedule value, he said.
Prices are also a long way up on last year.
A ewe selling for $120 last year would be at about $150 this year, possibly in lesser condition. The $180 ewe this year could have been bought for about $112 last year.
Capital stock offered because of farm sales boosted the Matawhero ewe fair on the North Island’s east coast, bringing in both good quality and attracting a larger buying bench.
The first four pens sold were two-tooth capital stock, with the ewes fetching $223 to $238, PGG Wrightson livestock agent Steve Goldsbury said.
Up to 4000 capital stock ewes were offered out of a total yarding of about 12,000.
Across the sale returns for heavier and medium ewes were well above schedule with a premium ranging from $10 to $40 a head. The best four-tooth ewes sold up to $182 and a standout pen of Coopworths made $184.
The best five-year ewes made $166 and mediums were about $150. Many of those might have only one lambing ahead of them but some bigger ewes still in excellent condition could have another two to three years ahead to justify the prices, Goldsbury said.
The Matawhero January 10 ewe fair is one of the earliest in the North Island, timed so buyers on lower hill country can get their ewes to the ram in the next few weeks for an early lambing season, aiming to get both lambs and cull ewes away to the works by the end of October for the early market.
Many buyers had quit ewes pre-Christmas at the high prevailing mutton prices so having capital stock among the latest offering provided an opportunity to get young, well-bred ewes for another three to four years of breeding.
The average price for the sale was a tick over,$158, with the high at $238 and a low of $80.
At the strong Stortford Lodge sale in Hastings on January 12 prices were also well above mutton schedule levels, Wrightson’s Hawke’s Bay livestock manager Neil Common said.
The two-tooth and mixed-age sales were joined together for the first time to bring total numbers up, with about 4000 and 9000 respectively and nearly all selling. The two-tooths sold first, claiming a top price of $250. Medium, well-bred stock sold in the $180 to $190 range.
Among the mixed-age ewes, four-tooths and six-tooths sold in the $160 to $180 range and five-year-olds averaged about $140.
The sale highlighted the value buyers saw in older ewes that might have only one lambing ahead of them, confident the good lamb and ewe returns could continue for a time yet, Common said.
Farmers who bought five-year ewes at last year’s considerably lower prices, getting a lamb and selling both the lamb and ewe at this season’s levels, were getting replacements at very reasonable levels now, after all the sums were done.
“Vendors were happy and buyers were happy,’’ he said.
The average across the sale was $161, with the low price at $100.
At the Kauroa, Raglan, sale on January 11 stock showed some of the effects of the very dry conditions in west coast areas, especially the lambs. There was a smaller yarding of ewes, about 1000 two-tooths and 900 to 1000 mixed-age, not enough to attract a big buyer bench, Bougen said.
Nevertheless, farmers did come from south Auckland, Waikato and King Country, attracted by the eczema tolerance bred into the flocks.
The top 2-tooth price was $205, with mixed-age ewes selling for $160 to $180. Prices for the better quality five-year ewes started about $120 and topped at $150 to $160.
