Walcha Merino stud Nerstane has kicked off 2024 with a benchmark Merino top price at their annual on-property ram sale.
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The family-operated stud sold a Poll Merino ram for $15,000 to a return buyer of more than 10 years.
The sale attracted 52 registered bidders. From 156 polled and horned Merino rams, 107 sold to an average of $2738.
Rams sold interstate to Tasmania and Victoria.
The sale started strong with just nine lots passed in for the first 80 rams offered while results were back slightly on last year's top price of $16,000 and average of $2953 from 158 rams.
Before the ram sale commenced, Merino ewes were offered with all 82 stud ewes selling to an average of $265 while 740 hoggets cleared to an average of $150 and 161 commercial ewes sold to an average of $82.
"A lot of sheep producers de-stocked between September and October last year during the dry spell which has driven the demand down for rams currently," Nerstane stud principal Hamish McLaren said.
"The amount of phone calls we had on the ewes within the last week were incredible meaning the interest is there but producers just don't have the ewes at the moment.
"The first half of the sale kicked along nicely but the back end of the auction was quite disappointing with the clearance rate dropping."
The top-priced Poll Merino ram, which achieved a sale price of $15,000, went to long term return buyers Terry and Kath Dolbel, Triangle Flat, near Bathurst.
The ram was purchased in association with Scott Thrift, AWN, who said the Dolbel family had previously bought Nerstane rams at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show at Bendigo, Vic.
"Terry and Kath operate a self-replacing herd and were looking to add a ram to their flock which had good staple, carcase and frame," Mr Thrift said.
The Dolbel family are regular participants within the western NSW flock ewe competitions.
Volume buyers IW, JM and WR Low, Forbes, purchased 11 rams to average $1727.
Rockvale Farms, Goulburn, purchased seven Merino rams to an average of $2785, which was slightly back from their $3454 average from 11 rams the year before. Veolia Enviromental Services, Tarago, near Goulburn, bought eight rams to a $4062 average. Reedy Creek Partners, Mandagery, near Parkes, purchased eight rams to average $2375.
Nerstane finished the sale by donating a ram's proceeds to the Westpac Helicopter Service. The charity ram sold for $2000 to Peter Roffe, Bendemeer, near Tamworth. The sale was covered by Elders, Walcha and Adcock Partners, Walcha, and interfaced online on AuctionsPlus.
