Highest price in the PGG Wrightson catalogue was $226 a head for a pen of 81 Border-cross 2-tooths offered by Keith Jenkins of Sheffield and the group’s average for 2-tooths was about $180 a head.
Hazlett Rural sold 409 Halfbred two-shear ewes on account of Bendigo Station in Central Otago at $204 a head, the first time the farm has sent stock to the Sheffield sale, Hazlett general manager Ed Marfell said.
The biggest market force at the February 16 sale were the traders from the wider Canterbury region buying older ewes, intending to get lambs from them this season then send them for processing post-weaning, he said.
The demand for 2-tooths was mainly from North Canterbury farmers rebuilding ewe flocks after the previous drought years, PGG Wrightson Canterbury livestock manager Grant Nordstrom said.
About 5000 2-tooths were yarded, many more than usual, and the sale yards company had to get a lot more pens set up to handle them all, partly because there were also a lot of small-number lines for sale.
The annual draft of older ewes was as solid as usual with 11,000 to 12,000 yarded.
“There was a hell of a crowd there and it went well from start to finish,” Nordstrom said.
“Prices were very good and I’d say that over the 2-tooths and older ewes you’d be $40 to $50 ahead of last year.
“We had happy buyers and happy vendors.”
Marfell reckoned the 2-tooth sale averaged about $30 a head lower prices secured at Hawarden on January 26.
“That’s a reflection of there being more 2-tooths here but also those Hawarden sheep really suit North Canterbury buyers and that’s where we got $255 for one line.
“The North Canterbury buying power was not here as much at Sheffield.”
Hazlett’s best 2-tooth result at Sheffield was $186 for a pen of composite capital stock.
Sone leading Wrightson sales included: TD and SF Anderson, of Parnassus, sold 152 Perendale 2th at $201; Quartz Hill Station in Rakaia Gorge 202 Perendale 2th at $200; AgResearch, Lincoln, 70 Romney 2th at $90; Snowden Station in Rakaia Gorge $149 to $161 for 500 annual draft five and six-year-olds; Keith Jenkins $177 to $191 for 200 mixed-age ewes; RK and JD Bragan, Sheffield, $180 for 82 Border-Romney three-shear ewes, AR Hutchison, Lands End, Akaroa, $152 to $162 for 244 five-year Romney ewes.
For Hazlett Rural: Snowden Station, $155 to $161 for five and six-year ewes, High Peak Station, Rakaia Gorge, $161 for 277 five-year Perendales; WR and C James, Flagpoll, $152 for 320 annual draft Perendale ewes; Baldoon Farm, $182 for 193 five-year Romney ewes; BW and LD Nell, Middle Rock, $168 for five-year Corriedale ewes, Bel-Hamed Farm, Waipara, $184 for 84 four and five-year Corriedale ewes; JO and AJ Clarkson, Greendale, $186 for 153 four and five-year Romney ewes.
“They’re all good animals at good prices,’’ Marfell said.
Though there’s a focus on trading ewes over a season, with many farmers highly-stocked there’s still some under-stocking on North Canterbury farms as flock rebuilding remains at an early stage, he said.
Prices reflected strong confidence with fundamentals nearly as good as the pre-Christmas record mutton schedules, which remain at highs for this time of year.
