Strong bidding was a feature throughout, with renewed industry enthusiasm

A top offering of well-grown, early-maturing Poll Merino rams, bred for Wheatbelt conditions, received strong interest when they went under the hammer at the Old Aprelia on-property Poll Merino ram sale at Marvel Loch on Monday.

Strong bidding from new and old buyers early in the sale saw prices hit a high of $4600 and set the sale up with strong foundations to build on as bidders showed their renewed positivity in the sheep and wool industry.

This strong bidding continued right through the catalogue as the local buyers and those from further afield chased the quality offering of rams which helped the Panizza family see an improvement in all the important sale statistics on last year.

Sale summary

• (Under the hammer results)
• Offered: 70
• Sold: 69
• Top: $4600
• Gross: $98,500
• Average: $1428

Under the control of the Elders selling team, headed by auctioneers Nathan King and Riley Stasinowsky, the stud sold 69 rams from 70 offered, to 17 different buyers at an average of $1428, which meant the average was up $206 and an extra 18 rams had also been sold compared to last year.

Last year the stud offered 60 rams and sold 51 under the hammer to a top of $3200 and an average of $1222.

Mr King said the final sale result was a fantastic one for the Panizza family in terms of clearance and prices.

"The competition was certainly stronger than last year which was great to see," Mr King said.

"It was a very good line-up of rams and you could certainly see the investment the stud has made in new genetics in the past five years coming through and they continued this investment this year with a new sire from the Barloo stud, Gnowangerup, purchased out of the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Ram Sale.

"The buyers also had plenty of positive comments in regards to the depth of quality in the line-up which is great to hear."

The sale started strongly with 12 rams selling for $2000 or more in the first 25 offered and it was in this group that the $4600 top-priced ram was found.

Taking top price honours was an upstanding, long-bodied, 114 kilogram ram in lot five when it was knocked down to second year buyers, the Cosgrove family, Roylands Farming, Shackleton.

The ram had wool figures of 20.2 micron and 99.5 per cent comfort factor (CF) and was from a syndicate joining.

Trevor Cosgrove said it was only the second time they had purchased from Old Aprelia.

"We purchased our first rams from the stud last year and so far the lambs from these rams are looking good," Mr Cosgrove said.

"The top-priced ram we purchased was a nice big, fast maturing ram with plenty of good, soft-handling wool all over.

"We want the early maturing types so we can get our lambs off quicker.

"We are currently looking at selling some of our April drop lambs that are 44 kilograms plus now."

Along with purchasing the top-priced ram, the Cosgroves purchased another three rams, to average $2875.

One of those three rams was one of the $3700 equal second top-priced rams which was offered first in the line-up.

The 108kg ram, which carried Cardiff bloodlines in its pedigree, had wool test figures of 21.1 micron and 98.9pc CF.

This year the Cosgroves will join 1500 ewes, all to Merino rams, for a lambing starting at the beginning of April.

The other ram to sell for the $3700 equal second top price was catalogued later, in lot 43, and was purchased by return Westonia buyer, Warrachuppin Farms.

The 114kg ram, which was based on Barloo bloodlines, had wool figures of 19.5 micron and 99.4pc CF.

Warrachuppin Farms also purchased a second ram at $1500.

Fellow Westonia buyer, the Della Bosca family, YP AG Holdings, was also in the thick of the action when it came to the top prices, securing the $3400 third top-priced ram among a team of three which averaged $2600.

Its $3400 purchase weighed 104kg and had wool figures of 23.2 micron and 96.9pc CF.

Other to purchase at the top end were return buyers Eiffler Farming, South Yilgarn, which purchased five rams to a top of $3000 and an average of $2180, while AM Granich, Moorine Rock, secured two rams to a top of $3100 and average of $1850 and P & A Alvaro, Merredin, collected four at an average of $1925 and to a high of $2300.

The volume buyers were RE Nicholson, Moorine Rock and Sanman Nominees Pty Ltd, Yilgarn, which both finished with teams of eight at averages of $975 and $888 respectively.

Return buyer Gilba Downs, Southern Cross, was also among the larger buyers, finishing with seven rams for between $800 and $2200, at an average of $1400.