Stocking up worthwhile when the buying’s good

Alvin Catto was looking to buy a loading ramp at Rob Sutton’s clearing sale last week and he also went home with 340 ewes.

Mr Catto, who farms at Tapanui, was attending the sale on behalf of his son who was busy Tb-reading cattle.

He said the ewes were headed for a new lease block in Clinton which he had helped his son into.

While Mr Catto said the Perendale Texel ewe ‘‘isn’t exactly what we’re after’’, he jumped at the opportunity when the bidding was light. He ended up buying the 340 five-shear ewes after auction for $95.

‘‘We’re not fussed about spending big money on stocking it up.’’

Mr Catto said the aim was to have a Perendale base, totalling 4500 breeding ewes and 220 breeding cows.

‘‘The price was just too good to pass up today,’’ he said.

-By Alice Scott