Total clearance at last sale for 2023

These 48 solid, mixed sex lambs, by a Poll Dorset sire, topped the sale of store lambs at the weekly Matawhero sheep sale yesterday, for $108. They were sold on behalf of MW and AM Flood at Kanakanaia. Picture by Trevor Brown

The final sheep sale of the year at the Matawhero Saleyards yesterday saw a total clearance of the 1300 store lambs sent for sale.

Prices remained steady for the larger lambs, but there were a lot of small lambs, and there was limited demand for them.

There were annual drafts of Poll Dorset X lambs from MW and AM Flood, at Kanakanaia and black-face hogget lambs from Totangi Farm Ltd, at Ngatapa.

The best price of $108 was paid for a pen of 48 mixed sex lambs from MW and AM Flood.

The smallest store lambs sold down to $20.

In Nov-Dec 2022 MW and AM Flood’s prices for their ram lambs ranged from $125 - $114 while Totangi Farm Ltd received from $75.50 down to $52.

In the prime pens yesterday the highest price paid was $116 for a pen of 2 from Jonathan Harris.

There were 118 store ewes sold, the top price here was $62 for 27 mixed age Wiltshire ewes, from J Lepper.

Best prices —

Store mixed sex lambs: MW and AM Flood, 48, $108; Mangahanea Farms Ltd, 29, $45, 7, $21; PM and DA Johnston, 19, $36.

Store male lambs: Raroa Station, 84, $101, 101, $63.50, 37, $51, 9, $24; MW and AM Flood, 53, $90, 44, $71; J Lepper, 20, $67, 5, $40; Totangi Farm Ltd, 66, $66, 111, $60, 119, $43, 16, $25.

Store ewe lambs: MW and AM Flood, 54, $82, 30, $77, 18, $76; Clark Cattle Company, 43, $74; Totangi Farm Ltd, 91, $54, 130, $42, 92, $30, 26, $25; J Lepper, 21, $46.

Store mixed age ewes: J Lepper, 27, $62; MW and AM Flood, 67, $56, 18, $50; T A Warner, 6, $46.