Challenging sale for Kerrilyn Merino but long-term clients chase quality rams

Widespread drought and a changing agricultural industry in the western district made for a challenging sale for Kerrilyn Merino stud, but good rams found their market.

The stud held its annual on-property sale at Dunluce on Friday, where it offered 42 Merino rams and sold 18 for an average of $1677.

Last year, the sale cleared 31 of the 43 rams offered, for a $1564 average and a top price of $3500.

Two rams, lots 2 and 6, sold for an equal top price of $3000.

One of the top-priced rams was bought by long-term client and local Brendon Lanfranchi, Mount Hooghly.

Mr Lanfranchi has purchased the sale-topper at the Kerrilyn spring sale for the past three years, and has been a client of the stud for the past 10 years.

He also purchased two other rams for $1900 and $1800 at the sale to service his 3000-head self-replacing Merino ewe flock.

Buying rams with between 18-19-micron wool, Mr Lanfranchi said he was looking for nice, long, white wool with a bold crimp.

"The Kerrilyn rams are just good, heavy wool cutting sheep," he said.

The other top-priced ram, Lot 6, was bought by commercial producers, the Jackson family, Ararat, who were operating through Elders Ararat.

Kerrilyn stud principal Norm Weir said a reduction in clientele impacted the sale results this year.

"Unfortunately, the sale wasn't much good," he said.

"This area is swinging into cropping more and more."

Mr Weir said in the past three years, he had lost a number of clients who had swapped out of Merinos into prime lamb production or transitioned out of sheep altogether.

"There have been three or four of my clients who have sold their farms, and they have all been bought by croppers," he said.

"Not long ago, we had a total clearance of 60 rams and sold some after the sale, but it has been getting tougher."

The sale has since been scaled back to offer around 40 rams.

However, Mr Weir said the buyers in attendance were still willing to chase the rams they wanted.

"The clients still paid good money for the rams they wanted and pushed them above the base price," he said.

Mr Weir also runs a commercial flock of 2000 Merino ewes, but his passion is breeding.

"The season is looking positive coming into spring, but on the stud side of things, a sale like this does make you wonder why you do it," he said.

"I'm more of a commercial grower than a stud producer, but I love breeding rams."