Rain failed to deter the buyers at the annual Orari Gorge on-farm lamb sale, with strong demand holding prices up for a quality line-up of lambs.
Bred from their own Romney stud stock, both the Romney and Romtex lines followed the trend of the South Island’s new year on-farm sales, achieving good premiums on pre-Christmas values.
The Orari Gorge Romney stud was started in 1982 with the Peacock family, who took up the station in 1990, continuing to breed stock that can look after themselves through tough winters on the hills and then give high levels of production in terms of lambing.
Structure and type are the cornerstone behind selection, with most of the lambs finished on the farm and any sold store usually well sought-after.
This year was no exception.
PGG Wrightson livestock manager Joe Higgins says the annual on-farm sale has been held for several years and both the vendor and agents believe this year offered the best line-up of lambs to date.
“These lambs are well sought-after, and you couldn’t fault the quality and condition which played out in the prices,” Higgins said.
“With the rain we are getting, and plenty of feed, these sales in the South Island are getting stronger and stronger, week by week.”
The Temuka store lamb sale also reflected the grass season with values lifting each week.
“And when the cropping farmers do get their harvest off, which is later than usual given the season, and come to the market, we are expecting them to further strengthen store stock sales,” he said.
Heavy lambs at Orari Gorge Station averaged $3.10 per kilogram with lighter lambs well above the current schedule, averaging out at $3.30-$3.40/kg.
In a first for the station, draft ewes were offered rather than waiting for next month’s ewe fair, with these selling from $141-$170.
In Otago the Nichol farm at Lee Stream, despite high winds and heavy rain, attracted a good following with heavy crypt Romney lambs selling at $120 and second cut ewe lambs $85-$88.
With the late harvest in Canterbury most of these lambs this year found homes in central and south Otago.
Also in Otago, the Lo-de Bar Station Perendale and Texel cross lambs met firm demand with surplus grass feeding the sales, PGW agent Craig Dempster said.
Prime lambs sold up to $124, with store lambs selling from $71-$107.
Further south at Cattle Flat Station, 5000 lambs off hard hill country all sold to an eager buyer gallery with prices ranging from $75-$110.
“It’s very wet, we are getting a lot of rain and grass is plentiful, so these lambs all stayed in Southland and Otago this year,” PGW agent Dave Morrison said.
The Hakataramea Valley sales included Maungatira, where the sale of 4500 Corriedale and black face lambs exceeded expectation.
“The buying power was very strong and competitive,” Peter Walsh and Associates director Karen Walsh said.
Medium lambs fetched up to $3.20/kg, while better types made $3.40/kg.
Glen Tavy Station sold 3100 Corriedale-Dorset cross and black face lambs, with the top price of the day $160 for a line of mixed-sex black face lambs, with the overall sale average at $110.
Roseneath Station in Waitaki sold 2300 lambs with a line of black face lambs topping the sale at $140 while the overall average was $101.
“Farmers were all delighted with their sale results with some very good premiums achieved,” Walsh said.
