The dust was flying, but the sheep were not selling.
Day two at the Hawarden Ewe Fair on Friday, January 31, proved to be tough one for vendors and auctioneers alike, with about one-third of the 8500 two-tooth ewes offered for sale returning home unsold.
Peter Walsh & Associates auctioneer Allister Orchard said it was unprecedented for so many ewes to /remain unsold, with 1500 of the 4000 sheep offered by his firm returning home.
‘‘I think all the firms had sheep go home which is very unusual for a ewe fair. I don’t think we’ve ever seen that many return home.
‘‘The biggest factor is the lack of feed and some uncertainty with the situation in China.
‘‘It was hot and dry the first day [January 24], but on Friday [January 31] it was that dusty you were struggling to keep the crowd in front you. We couldn’t see them for the dust.’’
It was a far cry from the first day of the sale, when there was a full clearance of about 18,000 mixed-age ewes.
The top price for day two of the sale was $280 for a pen of ewes from Benmore Station in Marlborough, which took the Forrester Memorial Shield for the second year running.
But others were not so lucky, with few sales passing $200 and ‘‘some very good ewes going for $180 to $200’’, Mr Orchard said.
Lighter condition ewes sold for $150 to $170.
‘‘We have to remember we have come off record high prices in the spring, but there has been quite an adjustment this side of Christmas.
‘‘The values are still pretty good, but everybody wants more.’’
But it was not all doom and gloom, as Canterbury had come through dry summers before, he said.
‘‘The market hasn’t completely crashed. We may just need to readjust our value — $170 to $200 is still OK money.’’
A late harvest, which meant arable farmers were not able to buy store lambs in the usual numbers, and the fallout from the latest coronavirus in China were all hitting at the same time, creating uncertainty for farmers.
‘‘The coronavirus is having an impact with the ports not operating, but when the Chinese come back into the market they will want our product.’’
-By David Hill
