Hard sale for Romney ewes

Press, 17 February 1978, Page 18

Hard sale for Romney ewes

Vendors at the Ashburton twotooth Romney ewe fair rarely experience a poor sale, but this years fair was an exception to the general rule.

The fair began quite well, with good average two-tooths selling steadily at $l3 to $2O, and occasionally to $22.75. But after two hours of selling, the market began to weaken, and in the last hour it tailed off badly with regular passings. Because of rain the previous i night, there were no header ■ harvesters working, so that vendors could not blame the situation on a competing interest. However, the yarding was considerably larger. It rose from 14.125 last year to almost 20,010. Because of the lower returns for lamb and wool, a lower level of values was a foregone conclusion, but few. if any, would have expected the market to fall as far as it did. At the steadiest part of the fair (mainly the first two hours), good average young ewes were selling at $5 to $6 below last year’s rates, while the top selection were about $8 back. However, as selling progressed, the decline on last year became much more marked. Whereas there were regular sales at $25 to $27 last year, the good average young ewes this year sold at $l6 to $18.50. and small to medium ewes at $l2 to $l5. As at the fine-wool two-tooth fair last week, there would have been nominal margins only for vendors who had bought their sale stock as ewe lambs. Last year Romney ewe lambs sold on a strong market; often in the region of $2O at Methven. Few high prices were paid, compared with the open-faced strong-wool breeds on Monday. The top price of $27 was paid in the dying minutes of the fair

when a small pen of 40 ewes was offered on account of N. C. Davidson (Greenstreel).

They probably drew specialty interest, as the vendor's farm Is substantially for stud stock. Until that stage, the best price had been $25.30 for a pen of 277 attractive big-framed ewes from A. J. Dunlea (Winchmore). In quality they stood out on their own.

Strathavon Farm (Methven), sold 130 young ewes at $23.25. Buying inquiry came mainly from within Ashburton County. Outside sales were made to the Timaru district. Waimate, Banks Peninsula, and the West Coast. A selection of principal sales included:—

E. G. Milne (Highbank). 1417 at $l9 to $22.75; A. J. Dunlea. 639 at $17.75 to $25.30; B. K. and M. M. Scott (Mayfield), 905 at $16.75 to $22.20; A. Doak. Ltd (Wakanui), 1176 at $15.25 to $21.75; W. A. Doak (Wakanui), 679 at $20.75 to $22.75: C. M. Hill (Dromore), 400 at $16.50 to $20.50: D. J. Patterson ißuapuna) 493 at $17.25 to $20.20; J. R. Clifford (Fairtom, 418 at $16.75 to $19.10; Strathavon Farm (Methven), 227 at $19.25 to $23.25: N. C. Holmes (Rakaia). 175 at $18.90 to $22.50; A. and M. Bean (Mayfield). 279 at $16.10 to $20.25: Kincardine Farm (Alford Forest). 196 at $20.50; N. S. Murdoch (Mayfield), 286 at $l9 to $20.40; L. N. Murdoch (Mayfield), 145 at $2l; R. W. Hollis (Somerton), 260 at $l9 to $19.50; E. J. Coppard (Methven), 207 at $18.50 to $2O.