A WHITE Dorper ram has been sold to Brazil for $45,000 in a major coup for Australian breeders.
The ram, bred by the Terraweena White Dorper stud at Warialda, in NSW, sold during a $78,000 spending spree by Brazilian Carlos Raul Consonni, of Sao Paulo, loast month.
His buy-up was headed by Terraweena 9239 Loftus, last year's national champion and supreme exhibit at the breed's major show.
Dr Consonni bought another ram for $12,000 and four ewes for $21,000, including one at $7000.
Terraweena is dispersing its White Dorper stud, and tenders for part of the flock closed mid-January.
This tender produced an average of $1700 for 74 ewes, with the second stage of the dispersal to be held on-farm at Gravesend on February 8.
The final sale will be held in September.
Meanwhile, it was a much tougher outing for cleanskin breeds in Tasmania over the weekend, where there were low clearances for the offering of Dorpers, Wiltipoll and Wiltshire Horn sheep.
Roberts stud stock manager Tim Woodham said the second sale of cleanskin stud genetics proved tough.
"I think there is only a limited market for the stud sheep, but commercial animals are still in demand," he said.
Dorper rams sold to $800, with three of the five offered sold.
There was demand for commercial ewes, with 135 of the 150 selling for an average of $260.
Mr Woodham said the sale, held in conjunction with Auctionsplus, attracted mainland interest but all sheep stayed in Tasmania.
