Two rams share top honours at Greenland Merino and Poll Merino ram sale
The top price was reached twice at the Greenland Merino and Poll Merino ram sale at Bungarby, held on Monday, October 20.
Repeat buyers shared the honours, securing two rams described by the vendors as big, earlier maturing rams with bulky wool and good measurements.
At the fall of the hammer, 55 of 80 rams sold, to average $2090, with a shared top price of $4500.
Kevin Harvey, Inverloch Pastoral, Mount Gambier SA, secured the first top-priced ram, Greenland 24P581. The Poll Merino, sired by A 210027, had a fibre diameter of 16.8 micron, a 2.3 micron standard variation, 13.8 per cent coefficient of variation and a comfort factor of 99.8pc.
Mr Harvey said he had been buying from Greenland for 35 years and said the rams had always performed well, and were able to handle the cool conditions across the border.
"They are consistent, they are white, they are soft, they have quality in the wool and character," he said.
The Harvey family purchased six rams on the day, and run about 2500 Merinos and 3000 crossbred sheep, with young ewes joined to Merinos for wool production, while the older ewes are joined to Border Leicesters for the prime lamb market.
The shared top-priced ram was Greenland 240612, sired by G21P124 recorded a fibre diameter of 18.9 microns, 3.1 micron standard deviation, 16.3pc coefficient of variation and a comfort factor of 99.6pc. Born a twin, he was purchased by Peter Jamieson, Bobundra.
Volume buyer David Davidson, Yarran Agriculture, Young, purchased 14 rams to a top price of $1500 and an average of $1375.
Stud principal John Alcock, Greenland, said he was happy with the prices. However, he said, finer, more traditional, crimping wools were more difficult to sell, despite favourable cascase traits.
He said the 'very poor' seasonal conditions in the region over the past two years, as well as lower ewe numbers across the industry, had left its mark. Two long-term repeat buyers had ceased operations since the last sale.
The sale was conducted by Nutrien Ag Solutions and Schutebell Badgery Lumby, with Tim Woodham, Nutrien Stud Stock, as the auctioneer.
