First class ewes make $270 at Ballarat as market kicks
A timely confidence boost from buyers elevated prices above expectations at the annual first-cross sale. Read the full report.
A rebound in confidence in the sheep industry pushed prices to $270 at the annual first-cross sale at Ballarat last week.
The timing of widespread rain, on the back of rises for both mutton and lamb, saw prices reach $270 in the best first-cross result to date this year.
At the top end of the market, 1460 first-cross ewes made $220 or more in pen sizes of 95 to 284, while another 1363 made $200 or more.
The sale’s top price of $270 was paid for the tops of the draft from the Seers family, who trade as Clear View Partners from Glengower. The top pen of 104, which were April-May 2022-drop and October shorn, was followed by another 284 at $242 and another 69 at $206 for an overall average of $243. They were estimated to weight between 70-80 kilograms.
Jake Seers said they had thought they might average between $200 to $250 so they were “really happy with the result”.
“With the price lift in the past few weeks, we thought we could see better prices than what’s been seen earlier in the year for first cross ewes,” Mr Seers said.
“The results were at the top end of our expectations.”
Last year, the draft of a similar number of first-cross ewes averaged $330.
Fellow vendor Murray Cook from Tourello sold the top pen of 120 from his run of 1½-year-old first-cross ewes for $208 but then sold the next 133 for $210.
He said when a repeat buyer missed out on the first pen, they bid up to secure the next, forcing the price for the lighter pen higher.
Mr Cook said no one knew where prices would settle, and many got a shock when the first pen sold for $270, but the next pen made $230 and then prices moved down from there.
“Of course it would be really nice to get $300 and I think that is where prices should be with costs going up, but we got a lot more than what we would have six weeks ago,” Mr Cook said.
He also sold a run of 2½-year-old first-cross ewes for $162, which he said was about the price he was told to expect for younger first-cross ewes before rain changed the market.
Nutrien Ballarat agent John Wagstaff said the sale had gone much better than most had expected.
“The best results were achieved by the local sheep that were well presented, well bred and well looked after, and went to repeat buyers who were prepared to pay to get them,” Mr Wagstaff said.
He said many drafts had made more than $190, much more than they would have if sold six to eight weeks earlier.
Ewes to $306 as buyers chase rare breeders
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Ewes sell over $300 at Corowa
First-cross ewes sold above $300 at Corowa on Thursday, but were deemed “not dear” by onlookers, with inconsistent prices across the rest of the yarding.