On-farm selling action made its way to Taihape on Tuesday, March 12, as Ohinewairua Station on Taihape Road held its inaugural sale.
Facilitated by Carrfields NZ, the sale featured 310 R2 Turihaua Angus steers, 140 R2 Turihaua Angus heifers and just over 7600 Romney wether and ewe lambs, offered on the picturesque high country property that spans 7500 hectares, 5500ha of which is effective country.
Farm manager Mark Haynes said that given the amount of stock to sell, it was worth having a go at an on-farm sale.
“South Island do it a lot and east coast do it a bit and there was no one doing it around this region, so we thought we would give it a go. It makes economic sense from a buyer’s perspective to come to one place and buy what they want.
“Stock are traditionally sold in the paddock at Ohinewairua, just in smaller lots, so we thought we would test the water with an on-farm sale.”
A big crowd made the trip for the sale and to enjoy the hospitality provided.
The Taihape Rugby Club catered morning tea as a fundraiser and Aitkins Ranch provided lunch. Many of the Carrfields NZ team were on hand to help sort and sell the livestock.
All stock was presented well, and Haynes said the cattle were the highlight.
The top R2 Angus steers sold for $1460 and the remainder made $1260-$1330 with most staying local. Two lines of heifers made $1110-$1160. The lambs sold as expected, making current market values.
Around 7000 Romney wether lambs reached a top of $109 and the balance sold for $75-$99, while the top ewe lambs made $103 and $76 for the remainder.
Lambs sold to Hawke’s Bay, Manawatū, South Island and locally. Following a very successful day, Haynes said that the on-farm sale will become a regular feature on the station’s calendar.
