A top price of $15,000 was achieved at the first Beltex sheep sale in New Zealand last week.
Beltex New Zealand held its sale of ram lambs at the Gallagher family's property, Rangiatea, at Mt Somers. The Beltex was a double-muscled Texel sheep which arrived in the United Kingdom from Belgium in 1989.
Jock and Hilary Allison, from Dunedin, and Blair and Sara Gallagher and John and Lynley Tavendale, from Mid Canterbury, were behind Beltex New Zealand, which brought the breed to New Zealand.
The top price was for a Suffolk-Beltex cross, while the top price for a purebred Beltex was $12,000.
The purebred ram lambs averaged $5242, while the Suffolk-Beltex lambs averaged $3861. Poll Dorset-Beltex averaged $1550 and Perendale-Beltex averaged $1190.
Demand was particularly strong from buyers seeking Suffolk-Beltex cross. Lambs sold from Northland to Invercargill with strong local buying, agents said.
