MERINO ewes sold to a top of $86 at Jerilderie at a sale where restockers outbid processors.
While the top price of $86 for the Sleigh Pastoral's pen of 429 May 2007-drop ewes was $30 less than the Jerilderie's September best price, the overall clearances and prices at today's sale exceeded the expectations of vendors and agents.
Most of the bigger than expected offering of 22,500 head, including 9500 lambs, were there because of continuing deteriorating seasonal conditions .
Elders Jerilderie manager Trevor Basset admitted he was very relieved with the prices, particularly for the Merino wether lambs which topped at $54.50 for 214 unshorn April/May-drop, Woodpark blood on account of Windarra.
But despite the better than expected prices, more than half of the lambs sold for less than $25, and several pens of aged ewes sold from $35 to $45 which were beyond their processing value.
Two pens or less than 700 ewes were consigned to processors - Herds and Southern Meats.
Most of the restocker demand came from Narrandera, Corowa and Albury.
And while Victorian interests from Ballarat, Kilmore and Bendigo were present, they bought very few sheep.
While this Jerilderie sale is traditionally Merino, the sale included several pens of first cross ewes on account of one vendor.
A single pen of 105 April/May 2007-drop crossbred ewes sold for $105.
