Thursday, March 28, 2024

‘Top-notch’ lambs met with strong market

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Presentation and quality were top-notch, making for a very strong market for the line-up of stock at the Ashburton Gorge annual on-farm lamb sales.
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A total of 20,000 lambs, one of the bigger annual tallies for the one-day sale, attracted a large buyer gallery that bid briskly for the well-presented stock.

Mt Possession Station put up 5500 Suffolk cross lambs and 3500 half-bred wether lambs.

A genuine line of 1000 annual draft half-bred ewes were also sold by Whyte Farming Company at Mt Possession.

At Castle Ridge Station, 4500 Poll Dorset-Merino cross ram lambs and the same tally of the same breed ewe lambs were sold.

Described as an “outstanding line of undrafted prime and forward store lambs” these had the added attraction of being progeny out of Merino ewes eligible for Merino New Zealand contracts.

The last call of the day was at the picturesque sheep yards of Mt Arrowsmith Station, where 2200 Poll Dorset cross wether and ewe lambs were sold.   

Despite the bizarre season in the high country the presentation and quality of the stock were “top-notch”, Hazlett Rural livestock manager Ed Marfell said.

“These were impressive lines that were a pleasure to sell,” he said.

PGG Wrightson auctioneer Greg Cook was equally impressed.

“All three stations do it right; the sales were a credit to the whole (Ashburton) Gorge,” Cook said.

“Lambs came forward in very good condition and met a strong market with prime and store lambs sought-after by repeat buyers who know they are buying top quality.

“It was a lot of lambs – 20,000 – to sell in one day, and the market held strong all the way.

“These were all well-bred, undrafted high country lambs keenly sought-after for their known shifting ability, with everything sold at auction.”

Averages over the day across all three stations saw heavy prime lambs fetching $150-$163 with lighter prime types sold from $120-$150.

Store lambs made well over the $3 a kilogram mark, selling from $95-$115. Terminal sire half-bred lambs made $80-$117.

Marfell says the Springfield on-farm sale run the following day was slightly softer but still a strong sale.

“We didn’t get the crowd of the Ashburton Gorge day but still it was a strong sale and there was a good clearance,” he said.

A total 10,000 lambs were offered with Brookside Station selling 5000 Suftex cross, genuine high country lambs, with a good reputation for their shifting ability.

At Kowai Bush, 2000 terminal cross lambs were sold by the Faulkner family, while at Russells Flat the Harrington farm line-up included 2000 terminal cross mix-sex lambs, 1000 Romdale wether lambs and 200 Romdale ewe lambs.

There was a very strong following for lighter lambs that sold from $85-$90, while better medium lambs made $95-$105.

Prime lambs sold from $115-$148.

“At the end of the day there were no real disappointments, with the vendors and buyers all happy,” Marfell said.

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