Tasmanian buyers jostle to snap up nearly half Nareeb Nareeb's rams at sale

A western district Poll Merino stud has sold nearly half of the rams it offered at its annual on-property sale to Tasmanian clients.

Nareeb Nareeb Poll Merinos, Nareeb, sold 60 of the 80 rams it offered for an average of $1958.

The top-priced ram, Lot 11, bought by Ron Watson, Penshurst, for $4000.

Stud manager Richard Beggs said 28 rams went across Bass Strait to Tasmanian buyers, and other rams went to western district wool producers.

"The sale was probably around the same as others for good commercial rams," Mr Beggs said.

"That's a fair price for around the top end.

"The ram had an excellent frame and carcase, and it's going to be a big wool cutter, with a good, stylish wool."

The top-priced ram had a 19.7 micron fleece, a standard deviation of 3.7 and a coefficient of variation of 18.8.

The August 2024-drop ram's greasy fleece weight index was 114 per cent.

Mr Beggs said drier conditions and lower sheep numbers had resulted in producers buying fewer rams.

"People who would normally get six to eight rams get two or three," he said.

"It's more that the western district buyers weren't operating, because they had enough rams."

He said Nareeb Nareeb rams had previously been very successful for Tasmanian producers.

"Our sheep do particularly well down there," he said.

"They are looking for a balanced sheep that has high fertility, with a good carcase, [which] grows fast and cuts a lot of wool.

"There are still a lot of Tasmanians who are running typical old Saxons, which aren't cutting enough wool for them.

"Through the midlands, where there is improved pasture, they like to push for a bit more productivity."