Vendors met the market and were generally happy with the prices at the Temuka breeding ewe fair.
“It was a good satisfactory sale on all accounts with vendors and purchasers both leaving happy,” PGG Wrightson auctioneer Rod Sands said.
“There’s a lot of farmers hurting out there and that showed as they were more choosy on the capital stock lines with the market firming across the four- and five-year old ewes.”
The yarding of 10,200 breeding ewes included 3600 capital stock ewes due to farm sales or changes in farming practices.
The best of the 4-tooth Romney, Texel and Texel-Romney sold from $160 down to $124 with the 3- to 4-year bracket selling in a wider range with better types typically making $156 -$132.
The bulk of the 4- to 5-year ewes sold in the $81-$91 bracket with better lines $123-$130. More than 2000 5-year ewes were offered with the tops selling from $100-$112. Adult ewes were in $80-$95 range.
Romney and Suffolk were the most popular among the mixed-age ewe pens and the best of these traded at $133 down to $100.
Good lines of Romney 2-shear sold at $157 and 3-shear $151.
The vibe was similar at the annual Hawarden breeding ewe fair where the market overall exceeded expectation.
While the crossbred ewes sold to greater demand with the top price of $194 paid for 2-th Romneys, mid micron annual draft ewes met the market of the day selling from $82-$105.
Three-shear Romneys from Lower Farm in Hanmer ranged from $161 down to $150 4-shear $145-$130. The best of the 5-shear Romney ewes offered by Iona Farm, Cheviot, sold at $130 while others went under the hammer at $123.
A big line of 430 Corriedale 6-shear ewes sold on account of Glen Clova Farm made $102-$85 while a line of 520 annual draft halfbreds from McDonald Downs ranged from $95-$71.
“Buying power for the crossbreds was from Canterbury and the finer wools from Marlborough, it was as clear cut as that,” Hazlett livestock manager Ed Marfell said.
“There was a positive vibe on where prices met the market and that reflected confidence that here is a future for the industry.
“We have been in a big dipper, but every dipper reaches a bottom and hopefully we are on the way up from here,” Marfell said.
