BUYERS let an opportunity to purchase large-framed, heavy cutting, quality woolled rams slip through their fingers at last week’s Trevino on-property Poll Merino ram sale at Southern Cross.
With only a small buying register, it was tough going for the Primaries selling team throughout the 80 head catalogue with auctioneer Jay Macdonald knocking many rams down in one bid.
Ten registered buyers cleared 47 of the 80 rams offered at an average of $586 and to a top of $1500, meaning both the clearance and average were well back on last year.
Mr Macdonald said it was a tough sale but the quality of the line up couldn’t be disputed.
“At the end of the day it was reduced buying support which impacted on the clearance and the average,” he said.
“For one reason and another some of the stud’s clients didn’t need rams this year and others didn’t need as many and this had a big bearing on the final sale outcome.
“Overall it was a very good line up of long, stretchy, heavy cutting Poll Merino rams which were very even from lot one to 80.
“They all displayed excellent size, shape and wool type, it was just disappointing we didn’t have the buying support to find them all new homes.”
It didn’t take long for the $1500 top price to be achieved when lot two went under the hammer.
The upstanding, well-covered, stylished woolled ram finally knocked down to regular buyer Tim & Jo Pope, TL & JM Pope, Moorine Rock.
Along with securing the top-priced ram, the Popes also secured another 10 sires to finish with a team of 11 at an average of $677, making them the volume buyers of the sale as well.
Their team also included two rams at $800.
The second top price was $950 paid by Warrachuppin Farms, Westonia.
The Westonia operation was also the second biggest buyer finishing the sale with a team on nine sires at an average of $567.
Three buyers each purchased six rams each.
Return buyer Lake Julia Farming Co, Southern Cross, paid to a top of $650 and an average of $542, while fellow regular buyer Sanman Nominees, Southern Cross, averaged $575 across its team of six which topped at $700 twice.
Rounding out the buyers who purchased six sires was return buyer Gilba Downs, Southern Cross, paid to an $800 top and a $600 average.
Other buyers were Albert Abordi Family Trust, Maylands (two rams); Primaries Perth (four rams); Tanis Holdings Pty Ltd, Swanbourne (one ram) and Australia Prime Merino, Bodallin (two rams).