Prices were very strong, well up on the equivalent weight kill-value and on last year’s sale.
The best 2-tooth price was $255 a head for a pen of 193 Romney-cross ewes from Coaltrack Farm at Waikari, put through by Hazlett Rural.
Older ewes averaged about $50 up on the $120-$130 of last year, PGG Wrightson’s Canterbury livestock manager Grant Nordstrom said.
Two-tooth averages were up about $30.
“You had a lot of buyers paying $200 or so for the 2-tooths after getting $140 from the processors for their older ewes earlier in the summer, and that’s a good deal for them,” Nordstrom said.
Hazlett general manager Ed Marfell agreed, saying the sale reflected the high mutton schedule in November and December.
“It was a sale we had high hopes for and everyone was happy.”
Between 17,000 and 18,000 ewes were yarded, with all selling. The crowd was the biggest Nordstrom had seen there
Outside the sale toppers, the best 2-tooths sold up to about $250. Better ewes were $190-$220, medium to good $170-$190, lighter $150-$170. Some of the higher-priced ewes were capital stock.
Mixed-age Romney crossbred capital stock sold in the $160-$200 range, better 5-year annual-draft Corriedales $150-$175. Mediums fetched $145-$165, lighter $120-$135.
Crossbred annual-draft ewes were $130-$160.
Most stock was from North Canterbury, and in good order considering the conditions.
The sale highlighted increased confidence in the sheep industry, although the trend was towards fattening lambs rather than increasing ewe numbers, Nordstrom said.
Older and annual draft ewes struggled to sell at last Wednesday’s Temuka sale.
Many were sold for processing, PGG Wrightson’s South Canterbury livestock manager Joe Higgins said.
This took the gloss of the start, when seven lines of well-bred capital stock reached good prices.
Buyers picked their lines carefully, and ewes from vendors with good reputations sold easily. The top price was $225 for a pen of 2-shear Longdowns.
Outside those two classes the market was difficult, Higgins said.
The yarding was 12,000 ewes.
Young capital stock sold for $180-$225, five-and six-year $170-$180.
Annual draft ewes were about $20 a head cheaper. Two to three-shear animals were $155-$170.
The best price for five-year and older annual draft ewes was $176 for heavy types, about the same as their kill-value, and prices dropped away from there.
Most buyers were from South Canterbury and North Otago, Higgins said. There was demand for lambs to fatten, but more breeder caution on the high prices.
“We’ve had one good year of high prices and you’d need to see a second year of this to build up confidence. It’s not often you get two good years in a row.’’
PGG Wrightson South Island livestock manager Shane Gerken said Hawarden was helped by having a higher proportion of fine wool sheep, and by North Canterbury buyers topping up after destocking into the high mutton schedule before Christmas.
Both Higgins and Gerken said having capital stock in the sales indicated that farmers were still changing land use, but big numbers weren’t coming through.
The lamb market did well, with stores selling at the $2.80/kg level, despite the numbers coming out of Otago and Southland. Canterbury farmers with ample feed had good opportunities to buy-in lambs for finishing.
