Beltex-cross lambs in demand at sale in Gore

Symon Howard (left), Brent Robinson, Grant Black (holding ram), Guy Martin and Michael Robinson with the top-priced ram lamb at the Beltex-cross sale in Gore. Photo / Robinson Family

A sale of Beltex-cross ram lambs in Southland last week "went through the roof'', PGG Wrightson livestock genetics representative Callum McDonald said.

The Robinson family, from Glenham, near Wyndham, held their first ram lamb sale at Gore showgrounds, offering Beltex-Texel, Beltex-Suffolk and Beltex-South Suffolk ram lambs.

The sale, across the board, averaged about $1776.

Top price of $8000 was paid by Guy Martin, and Grant Black from Canterbury, for a Beltex-Suffolk-cross lamb.

Beltex-Suffolk lambs sold the best, averaging $2892. Beltex-South Suffolk-crosses averaged about $1347 and Beltex-Texel at $1476.

There was a big gallery of buyers and lambs were sold throughout the country. It was a breed that people were prepared to try, McDonald said.

Brent Robinson said there were 62 lambs in the sale and only three were passed in. He was proud of their presentation.

He was happy with the sale result, particularly that they were well spread, with no-one dominating the sale. That was good for the breed and for the future, giving "everybody a chance'', Robinson said.

He believed prices were at a good, realistic level.

They had invested capital in the breed, and it was a good level to reward them for their efforts, while it also allowed people to try the breed at prices that were not "way over the top''.