MERINO rams are set to lift their share of the national flock matings, according to Loddon Valley stud Merino breeders, despite the pressure to increase prime lamb output.
"Many sheep men concerned about the drop in Merino numbers are now beginning to think it would better to breed them rather than pay $160 for Merino replacements," Kedleston Park principal, John Humbert, said.
Kedleston Park was one of 14 Merino studs on display in the Loddon Valley last week.
And while eight of these studs sell fewer than 50 rams each year, all were upbeat and confident of boosting their sales this year.
Koole Vale principal, Alan Harris from Costerfield, adds the rider: "provided it rains."
It was a point echoed by Norm Weir of the Kerrilyn stud at Dunluce, near Dunolly.
"If there is one thing which is going to hold back any flock rebuilding, it will be the lack of water," Mr Weir said, citing the dry conditions in central Victoria.
Most of the Loddon Valley studs produce middle or 20-22 micron clips off medium to large-framed ewes, so they are well placed in both wool and sheepmeat markets.
But all agree Merino studs have a big job ahead to convince breeders to use a Merino ram rather than a terminal ram for next season's matings.
Meat and Livestock Australia's latest projections suggest ewe numbers - across all breeds - will fall another 1 per cent this year to 43.3 million, but at the same time lamb slaughterings are expected to rise to a record of almost 21.2 million.
Terrick West stud principal Ross McGauchie, of Prairie, said even if the current focus was on producing a prime lamb, the best overall returns were from a Merino flock.
He cited the performance of his own commercial flock cutting 7kg, $50 fleeces of 19-micron wool and producing Merino wether lambs which at 10 months last season sold for $100.
Mr McGauchie said although the larger-framed Merino was associated with 21-22 micron, over 15 years he had been able to retain sheep size and wool cuts while reducing the micron to the higher-valued 19-micron.
"Give me another five years and I can get it down to 18-micron," Mr McGauchie said.
Mr McGauchie, who last year sold 150 Poll rams, was confident of selling more this year.
Concordia principal Bob Rollinson, of Mysia, who arguably produces some of Victoria's largest and heaviest cutting Merinos, described the current situation as "boom time" for the sheep.
"We are not just hanging in, we are rocking along," Mr Rollinson said.
