Top price of $56,000 for velvet sire

Netherdale Red Deer stud's 5/2017 was sold for $56,000 at David and Lynley Steven's recent sale. Photo / Stevens

Netherdale Red Deer's stag 5/2017 fetched the highest price in the country for a velvet sire, selling for $56,000.

David and Lynley Stevens held their combined Bidr and on-site sale in Balfour on January 13.

The stag, by top sire Harlem, was bought by commercial deer farmers Kelly and James Hudson, of Timaru.

Mr Stevens said the sale attracted a lot of interest.

"We ended up with quite a variety of people come down from the North Island and Canterbury.

"I had an inkling 5/2017 was good as we had a number of people interested in him," Stevens said.

The average price they received for velvet stags was $15,055.

Forty hinds sold at an average of $1477 and a top price of $3800.

However, the average price for hinds was slightly back compared to last year while the stag averages were about the same.

They also sold all 75 2-year-old velvet stags for an average price of $1676.

PGG Wrightson New Zealand deer general manager Graham Kinsman said the prices of stags, hinds and semen were down slightly compared to last year.

Border closures and Covid restrictions overseas were affecting venison and trophy prices.

However, the industry as a whole was in good heart.

Although many buyers chose to bid through the online platform Bidr, many still visited the vendors before the sales to see the animals for themselves, which he was pleased to see.

Rural Livestock agent Adam Whaanga said although prices were not as good as previous years, the velvet sire sales went reasonably.

Farmers were still looking for the right animals to make genetic gains. However, prices for trophy sires were down quite a bit as well, he said.