BLANCHETOWN OFFSHEARS: Malcolm Waechter, Evening Star, Nildottie, sold 42 Merino wether lambs, Yarrin Valley blood, March/April-drop at $65 at Blanchetown off-shears last Thursday.THE OFF-SHEARS sale season is well under way, but unlike the excellent highs of the previous two years, it seems that young Merino ewes prices will not break price records in 2012.
A combination of factors, including a drop in prices for lambs, mutton sheep and wool, along with the Bureau of Meterology predicting a drier then average spring, have contributed to the rate drop.
While demand for quality ewes has remained strong, these prices have dropped well below the $200 to $290 levels of last season.
In October last year the South Australian record for 1.5-year-old Merino ewes was smashed, young ewes topping at $290 at Warrawee Park off-shear-sale.
With the same Warrawee Park part of the South East circuit sales on Wednesday (yesterday), it seems the record will remain, with none of the hype of last year surrounding the sale.
As part of the circuit sales ewes and lambs will be sold at Bordertown, Senior Park, Warrawee Park and Keith.
In past weeks at off-shears at Minlaton, Cleve and Yelta, prices have struggled to top $160, providing excellent buying opportunities for those selecting young replacement ewes. So it was great to see ewes sell for more than $200 at Lameroo off-shears on Friday.
Lameroo’s long-held reputation for offering top-quality, pushed young ewes prices to a seasonal high of $204.
Both Lameroo off-shears agents Landmark’s Steve Davidson and Elders’ Pat Larsson said they were hoping to get about $200 for the top pens.
So they were well satisfied with the overall result, particularly as some Victorian buyers did not make the trip across the border this year because of a poor season.
Three interstate agents were quoted as saying they rated the Lameroo sale to at least the equal of any they had seen. Young ewes were $20 a head higher than recent rates, with older ewes also slightly dearer.
Over the border at Jerilderie, New South Wales, Merino ewes also sold for more than $200, topping at $222 on October 5.
*Full report in Stock Journal, October 18 issue, 2012.
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