Strong sheep and beef sales recorded in South

Sheep on offer at Balclutha Saleyards last week. PHOTO: RICHARD DAVISON
Sheep on offer at Balclutha Saleyards last week. PHOTO: RICHARD DAVISON
Demand remains strong for sheep and beef in Otago. PGG Wrightson agent and auctioneer Russell Moloney said the cattle and sheep sale was "very strong right across the board" at Balclutha Saleyards last month.

Nearly 900 head of cattle was offered, mostly from farmers in Central Otago and South Otago, who were off-loading trading stock, he said.

Straight beef steers, such as Angus and Hereford, weighing between 350kg to 420kg, were in demand, fetching between $5.50 per kg and $5.80/kg.

The steer prices were "above expectation".

Straight beef heifers sold for between $5.30/kg and $5.60/kg.

"That was good going."

Yearling dairy beef cross breeds, such as Friesian cross Hereford, sold for between $5/kg and $5.30/kg for steers and $4.70/kg to $5/kg for heifers.

The top store lambs sold for between $160 and $185 each.

"It was a good sale day."

Russell Moloney. PHOTO: SHAWN MCAVINUE
Russell Moloney. PHOTO: SHAWN MCAVINUE
Rural Livestock agent Dennis Mullally said there was strong demand for the about 6500 halfbred ewes offered at the Beaumont Station on-farm sale last week.

"It was a very good sale."

The two-tooth ewes fetched $300 each, two shear ewes $272, three shear ewes $245, four shear ewes $192 and annual draft ewes sold for $188.

Buyers were from across the South Island, he said.

PGG Wrightson Otago regional livestock manager Paul Edwards said there was a full clearance of about 10,000 lambs at the three back-to-back on-farm sales in Upper Clutha last week.

The sheep buyers were from farms between Southland and Mid Canterbury.

More than 6000 lambs sold for an average of about $200 each at West Wānaka Station.

The average price for lambs at Alpha Burn Station and A J Farming was one or two dollars less.

"To have the averages across three sales to be within $2 of each other, proves how good the stock were."

shawn.mcavinue@alliedmedia.co.nz