The North Ashrose Merino Stud ram sale on Wednesday, 10 September attracted a wide spread of buyers from across the country, making for substantial competition in a full clearance sale.
The stud moved all 160 rams on offer to an average of $1928, a near identical result to 2024 where a full clearance of 160 was achieved at an average of $1935.
The sale topped at $5500 for Lot Three, the buyer being RH Dunsford and Co. Sired by Gunallo 463, the ram carried a 21.5 Micron fleece with a standard deviation of 2.8 and coefficient variation of 13.2, with a comfort factor of 99.6 and greasy fleece weight percentage of 145.
Stud principal Tom Ashby was very pleased with the sale and said it was very solid.
“Our expectations this year were to average about the same as last year, which is the result we’ve got, but who was really to know,” he said.
“The last 18 months has been a really tough period for a lot of our clients but they’ve come through and can see the merino industry is on the rise with meat and wool prices.
“The next two or three years look very positive and I would expect next year to be a really solid year for merino producers.”
The volume buyer of the sale from Winton, Queensland knocked down 33 rams, with strong support from three other North East pastoral operations.
It was a varied spread of interest with South Australian buyers from the high rainfall country through to the arid pastoral zones and interstate support from Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia.
Mr Ashby was appreciative of the strong support from returning clients and said he welcomed interest from some new buyers.
Elders stud stock agent Alistair Keller said there was strong competition.
“We had four or five big pastoral orders butting heads all day and a few came up short, so we could’ve definitely put a few more in the sale,” he said.
“Over the whole selling season, studs have pulled their numbers back, but some of those sales probably didn’t need to.
“They’re still clearing very well and selling very well, people are still willing to pay for the good sheep, as seen today.”
Nutrien stud stock agent Gordon Wood said it was a really good result given the season.
“There’s a massive drop in the ewe number across the nation and especially in SA,” he said.
“To have offered the same number as last year and have a full clearance is a testament to the North Ashrose program and their clients, a really solid result.”
Mr Wood said buyers were attracted to the good staple length and strong bodied rams on offer.
“They have a really long stapled, lustrous white wool, with a lot of rams sired by the Gunallo 463,” he said.
“The Ashby’s have used this sire a lot over their ewes and have done really well out of that.
“It’s a really good length, getting that extra length in the staple but also getting really good tops on the sheep, with plenty of width and eye muscle.”
Mr Wood said the catalogue displayed strong depth and this was evident right through to the final lots.
“Lot 160 made $2000, we averaged just under $2000 and for the last ram of the day to pass average, that tells you exactly what’s through the catalogue.”
