On-farm sales increasingly popular, while bidr influence also grows

South Island ram sales progressed favourably through January. Prices strengthened slightly on last year. As ever, good rams sell well, particularly when breeders present detailed, accurate data.

On-farm ram sales are growing in popularity. Although these require plenty of preparation ahead of the big day, that extra effort invariably proves worthwhile for a successful sale. Typically these on-farm sales will offer 80 to 100 rams. Some sales have a history of 20 years or more, becoming memorable annual community events attended by several generations of local families and rounded off with a barbecue. While ram breeders hosting an on-farm sale are likely to be nervous prior to sale day, they are at liberty to relax afterwards, rather than spread out the time involved with selling rams over several weeks.

bidr is increasingly part of on-farm ram sales, particularly with uncertainty around numbers attending due to Covid restrictions. Farmers are becoming more comfortable watching and buying on bidr, giving the online platform more momentum. Auctioneers also enjoy the added challenge of running a hybrid bidr sale, with purchases on site and off competing against each other. Technical constraints around the platform’s capacity to cover sales in remote areas are also now readily overcome.

For breeders not inclined to host a sale on-farm, selling privately or offering stock at ram fairs remain effective options. Christchurch and Gore ram fairs were successful this year, both delivering good pricing on terminal and maternal rams. Temuka, Hawarden and Sheffield ram offerings, which follow the ewe fairs in each locality, are opportunities for farmers purchasing ewes at these sales who would otherwise be short of a ram at the end of the season. If hoggets are up to weight, some commercial farmers might consider putting a ram over them for April and May matings.

Excellent returns for lambs suggests now is the time to reinvest in genetics: those who put revenue from their lambs back into upgrading their ram team are likely to be well rewarded.

Callum Stewart, PGG Wrightson Livestock National Genetics Manager