Top priced ram sold to Rockford pty Ltd Tasmania and 3rd top priced ram sold to Lees family at Bookham. From left Damian Meaburn,Tasmania, Sam Phillips, Steve Phillips, Angus Campbell, Paul Dooley and Rick Power.
Yarrawonga Merino and Poll Merino Stud held their annual on-farm sale this week on Monday, with an excellent turnout on a beautiful sunny day.
The Times caught up with Principal Steve Phillips, who said, “We sold 274, and we averaged $3,646. We had a top of $23,000 and another one at $22,000, two $18,000 and a $16,000 and $14,000. They sold really well. We were very happy with it.”
“The second top price was $22,000; he was just a paddock ram. He was lot 74 down the line and people picked him out, which is a record for us for a paddock ram. The Stud was all supported from near and far.
“The two top-priced ones went to Tasmania, and then they went all over Victoria, New South Wales; they got spread around pretty well. Beggan Beggan bought 20, Tiverton bought half a dozen. They all supported us well. It was very good, more than happy with it.”
The rams were some of the best available with high weights and low micron scores.
“The rams looked well, they were the biggest they’ve ever been and the finest they’ve ever tested at 17.2. They averaged 105, which in a drought year was pretty good, but we’ve been focusing on that early growth, and that’s made the difference.
The Stud has made a point of breeding types genetically predisposed to the features their buyers want. “Yes, we keep the wool data, keep the wool fine and plenty of wool on them. A lot of people were chasing good data, which they had.”
A multi-generational farmer, Steve gave his outlook when asked what lies in store for the year ahead.
“You’ve got a lot of young people coming back into agriculture now, which is fantastic, more so than ever, I think, which is helping our country towns and communities.
“I think this rain the other day is setting us up for a pretty good spring now. It’s been a tough first half of the year; it was pretty horrific in all of southern Australia, really. Hopefully, things have turned around.
“It looks like the grass is growing, we’ve got a pretty good spring here now, locally and another couple of falls and it’ll be pretty good, I think, all the commodity prices are pretty good. The mutton, lambs, even beef, and the wool have made a lot of positive rises lately, so it’s all looking pretty positive.
With approximately 25 years of annual sales locally, success is something hard fought for, but something that follows the Yarrawonga breed.
“I think we keep pushing boundaries, the profit drivers in our flock, our fleece weight, body weight and all that sort of thing micron, keep a lot of pressure on micron, and I think their wool quality and their growth is probably what attracts people to them. Sort of eight to ten months, that type of thing, six months, eight months, that type of thing,that’s where you get the benefit. At that age.
Yarrawonga will continue to sell rams privately to those interested outside the annual sale time. Contact Steve, Liz and the team by checking out their website for details.
www.yarrawongamerino.com.au
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