Farmers’ ‘extraordinary generosity’ boosted by price jump in Daffodil Day lamb sale

Friday’s Daffodil Day sale at Matawhero Livestock Centre raised $70,000 for the Cancer Society signalling “the market was turning” with lambs selling for as much as $300 each.

PGG Wrightson’s regional livestock manager for the East Coast, Jamie Hayward, said 370 lambs donated by local farmers were sold to raise money for the Cancer Society.

One anonymous local farmer donated 50 lambs he had raised specifically for the event.

Federated Farmers national board member Sandra Faulkner was “blown away by the extraordinary generosity of farmers who donated”.

“As a breast cancer survivor and someone who has received the Cancer Society’s amazing support, I can’t thank people enough,” Faulkner said.

“Up and down the country, anyone who donates should be celebrated.”

Some of the lambs sold for $300 each. This is up from recent high prices of $220 a head and only two months ago, the top price for male lambs at the weekly Matawhero sale was $201.

Hayward said it looks like “the market is turning” and the higher prices for lambs are starting to be seen around the country.

He said that even though the lambs were donated, they fetched market prices and “that was what they were worth”.

Friday’s sale was the 26th edition of the PGG Wrightson-ANZ Annual Daffodil Day Sheep Drive.

“Donators, auctioneers and transport companies really come together and contribute to the success seen year-on-year,” ANZ relationship associate Michelle Hawea said.

“The rural community we have here is unreal. They are generous and humble beyond words.”

Cancer Society fundraising and events co-ordinator Shay Podjursky said transport firms Heikells Transport, Robb Brothers and Harvest Matawhero Transport support the event by carting donations to saleyards without charge, while their office staff are “amazing”.

Faulkner said the “extraordinary Daffodil Day fundraising efforts provide confidence” and lift the smaller community initiatives.

“When farming is doing well, then those community initiatives also do well.”

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