Strong Merino prices at the Deniliquin store sheep sale

The Deniliquin store sheep sale was the strongest Merino sale in the Riverina this season as auctioneers sloshed their way through the yarding.

Agents were selling in the water at the Deni sheep sale. Picture: Jenny Kelly

There is ‘money in mud’ is a common agricultural saying, and it was evident at Deniliquin in NSW today as auctioneers sloshed their way to the strongest Merino sale held in the Riverina this season.

While the very top Merino ewes mightn’t have been much dearer at a peak of $209, the market pushed up underneath with the general run of young ewes quoted as $20 to $30 per head dearer than the subdued outcomes recorded at Hay and Jerilderie.

Highlighting the change in demand sentiment was the fact a reasonable number of older 5-year-old Merino ewes sold back to restockers as they beat-out meat buyers. This is in stark contrast to the likes of Jerilderie where nearly all the old ewes were claimed by export mutton processors.

The other change was much quicker bidding, with the crowd willing to step forward and generally offer reasonable price starts, rather than the low-balling and hang-and-drag tempo which has been the hallmark of recent store Merino ewes.

It came as up to 40mm of rain swept through the nearby Deniliquin districts, while people in the crowd were talking off storm totals of up to 95mm in parts of Victoria.

The downside was the Deniliquin saleyards were a sea of mud and water, and sheep weren’t able to be shown off to their best advantage, particularly the woolly ewes after a soaking overnight.

However the rain was put forward as one of the factors in the more positive price outcome, although many did point out it doesn’t rain feed and in many areas it had fall too late to be hugely beneficial.

Nutrien auctioneer Marc Braybon said a combination of factors had probably fed into the dearer trend at Deniliquin. Among them was the dearer trend being recorded for heavy lambs at prime markets and some modest gains in the wool market.

But he said in his opinion people had probably had time after recent sales to sit down and do their sums and realise young sheep were representing good value.

“All this rain is probably a little bit (of the stronger trend), but I reckon it was sheep at the price rates they were looked very cheap and there has been some realisation of that,’’ he said.

The top price across the 38,000 head yarding was $209 for the second pen of young Merino ewes sold – 340 head from vendor Cumbagunda which were May 2023 drop, Poll Boonooke blood and August shorn.

Not far behind was the lead of the Mooloomoon ewes, the 406 June/July 2023 drop and Goolgumbla blood selling for $203.

The feature dispersal of Andrew and Louise Burge’s Merino ewes from their Prairie Home Station at Deniliquin sold to a top of $180 for the lead pen of the 2023 drop maidens, while the 2.5-year-olds sold to $158 and the four-year-olds to $168. The ewes were all One Oak blood and September shorn.

“It was a big decision to disperse these ewes but we are pretty happy as it seems a lot better sale than Jerilderie and Hay,’’ he said: “Prices were better than I expected.’’

The Burge’s recently had the opportunity to purchase a neighbours Ultra White sheep flock, a decision made out of their desire to lower their labour and workload as they advance in age.

“It’s a bit sad to see these Merinos but we were getting to that stage of live where we had to make some decisions and we look forward to new opportunities,’’ he said.

Most of the young 2023 drop ewes sold from $110 to $180/head, and while it might night seem a lot of money on paper some of the ewes were small and light, and it was the tail-end of the market which arguably experienced the biggest price rises.

Some key results out of the 2023 drop ewes included:

•Trigg: 410 Dohne ewes, May/June 2023 drop, August shorn, $181

•Abbotsford: 540 Merino ewes, April/May 2023 drop, August shorn, $180; 463 at $170

•Karinya: 318 Meirno ewes, May/June 2023 drop, August shorn, $164

•North Run: 398 Merino ewes at $180; 160 at $130

•Spring Plains: 359 ewes, June/July 2023 drop, September shorn, $174

•Corona: 366 ewes at $174; and

•Mutooroo: 638 ewes at $168.

Buyers did focus on sheep size and frame, and prices did favour the better grown ewes which were plainer bodied for joining to meat rams this November.

The younger ewes at $110 to $140 were often judged to have sold strongly on size and quality.

The older five-year-old ewes mostly $70 to $120, and again there was some strong sales that were a good $20 clear of current mutton returns.

Buying activity was widespread and included the local Riverina area, Bendigo, Benalla, Euroa, Wagga Wagga, Corowa, Lake Carjellico and Swan Hill.