Confidence is high in the sheep and wool industry after a successful Rabobank National Merino Sheep Show and Sale in Dubbo last week grossing $282,500.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Dubbed one of the biggest Merino events in Australia by president Stuart McBurnie, the Sheep Show and Sale has been drawing entries from across Australia for more than 50 years.
Held at the Dubbo Showground, the event ran from Tuesday to Thursday last week, with more than 700 sheep entries from across the country under one roof.
Mr McBurnie said there was no doubt Dubbo could lay claim to hosting one of the country’s leading ram sales with buyers and sellers travelling from all over to attend.
With an inevitable decline in the mining industry, Mr McBurnie said he was pleased with the sale prices, which were coupled with an overall good season for growers.
While he didn’t believe Australia was getting back to the days where the nation’s success rode on the sheep’s back, Mr McBurnie said he was confident that the overall agriculture sector was making a comeback.
“It’s becoming a driving force, everyone is confident of that,” he said. In 2014, the sale average was $4669 with prices starting at $1000.
The sale average from last week’s sale had risen to $6000 neat with the same starting price as 2014.
A clearance rate of 83.3 per cent saw 55 of the 66 rams offered at auction sold on the day.
Dubbo’s Roseville Park Merino Stud, owned by Matthew Coddington, attracted the top price in the saleof $26,000.
This was a $1000 increase from the 2014 top-priced ram, which went to a South Australian ram from Orrie Cowrie Poll Merinos, Wurooka.
The big selling Roseville Park ram will remain in the central west with a local syndicate consisting of Tim, Brad and Dennis Cox, Rosewood Family Trust, Neil Doherty, Ronjabar Merino Stud and Peter Moore, Blink Bonnie Merino Stud.
Mr Coddington said he was pleased to have made the top sale for 2015 after closely missing out at $24,000 last year.
A recent consumer confidence survey conducted by Rabobank saw rural producers’ confidence at a seven-year high, which Mr Coddington said he thought had reflected well in the sale prices.
“There’s been a positive and confident vibe in everyone,” Mr Coddington said.
“It’s proven that farming is still a viable industry.”
“People’s overall farming structure has seen a lot of improvements in drought-proofing their farms,” he said.
The Australian Supreme Merino went to Victorian stud Glenpean and the Champion Sale Ram to Hinesville /Westplains, in southern NSW.
