Major ram sale date listings for Merino and prime lamb auctions

Our calendars reveal which dates prime and Merino studs will hold their ram sales – amid a record number of online listings.

Online livestock selling platforms have stepped up to meet industry needs during the Covid-19 pandemic. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Sheep studs are approaching their key ram selling period with two contradictory factors duelling for the second year running — Covid-19 lockdown concerns and buoyant demand thanks to a bullish industry outlook.

While the state of NSW has this week been thrown into a statewide lockdown, physical auctions will still be allowed to go ahead in that state.

Earlier this week NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard granted an exemption for auctions, allowing them to be open to the public for food supply, including livestock.

Ray White Livestock GTSM Albury stud stock manager Michael Glasser said although “things seem to be changing daily, at the moment it appears that physical auctions can go ahead”.

“It is all a bit unpredictable but if people can move, I expect they will try to get to sales.”

In additional, his vendors were ensuring they also had an online selling platform ready to go as well.

SALES CALENDARS

SPRING PRIME RAM SALES 2021 (PDF)

SPRING MERINO RAM SALES 2021 (PDF)

Mr Glasser said it had been a positive that the online selling platforms had “stepped up” over the past two years, meeting the growing demand.

While Mr Glasser said online selling was here to stay, beyond Covid he believes the technology would remain complimentary to physical on-property sales.

“I do think, when they can, people will still travel to attend sales, they still like to touch and see what they are buying; online has just given us the option (to buy remotely).”

Looking to prices, Mr Glasser said demand was expected to be strong thanks to the “very buoyant” season throughout the eastern seaboard.

AuctionsPlus chief economist Tim McRae said online stud sheep sales booked with that online platform had lifted 30 per cent year on year.

Last financial year AuctionsPlus carried 297 stud sheep auctions and this financial year close to 400 sales were already booked in, he said.

“I think the reason for the growth is the familiarity people now have with it and the natural growth,” Mr McRae said.

“There is still a lot of uncertainty around what is happening (with Covid-19) so people have gone ahead and booked in their sales.

“It's a bit early to say if this NSW lockdown will have an even bigger impact but there is certainly a lot of inquiry coming in.”

MORE

LAMB RECORDS BROKEN

MUTTON DROPS AS MEATWORKS SHUTDOWN HITS PRICES