TWO weeks ago marked the end of an era for Peter Bligh and his family who sold their last wool clip through Primaries.
A total of 58 wool clips featuring the Melara wool brand have been sold over the years from Bligh Lee Farms, Mingenew, where Peter and his family ran 1000 Willy Gully North blood Merino ewes alongside 4000 hectares of crop.
But in February this year, the farm was sold and the family is moving on to the next stage in their lives.
Peter, who lives in Perth, said his family had been farming in Mingenew since 1958.
“We always had sheep at Mingenew,” Peter said.
“We had some Dorpers for a while and some prime lambs but we got out of that and went to all Merino because they’re easy care and, of course, they’ve got the wool.”
Peter said the Bligh Lee Farms flock had been sitting at the 20 micron mark for a few years and was well suited to the Mingenew environment.
“That was probably as fine as we could go because it’s difficult to go really fine in the Wheatbelt, not impossible but difficult,” he said.
Bligh Lee Farms used to cut up to 70 bales of wool per year, but that clip size had declined over the years.
The summer shorn clip of 31 bales which was sold during the F1/18 sale last week, averaged 20 micron and had an average bale value of $2145 and 1228 cents a kilogram greasy sweep the floor.
The clip had a yield of 55.9 per cent yield, 32N/kt staple strength and 87 millimetre staple length.
Peter said it was sad to be letting the farm go, but it was time for the family to move on.
“I’m grateful to Peter Onions from Primaries for working with us over the years,” he said.
“It is nice to be able to see our very last clip on the show floor.”
