STUD pig breeders, together with Nutrien Ag Solutions and AuctionsPlus, have successfully held their first online auction.
SA and WA vendors and agents embraced the selling platform following the cancellation of the Royal Adelaide Show, where they would normally hold their annual stud pig auction.
Keyneton's Shaun Blenkiron sold the top price boar at lot 42 - Gumshire King J348 for $2200.
"The right people were chasing him, he has exceptionally good length, he carries good meat and muscle right through and he has good growth," he said.
"He should breed some good gilts."
Mr Blenkiron offered 30 pigs in the auction, with 29 of those selling.
"We were very happy with the result, it was very unknown what we would be facing," he said.
"It is probably the future of our industry as far as stud pig sales go.
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"A big thanks to Nutrien, it was their idea to go online, otherwise we may have left it this year.
"All the pigs sold well and I think there will be even more interest in the future."
A total of 69 pigs sold from the 73 offered by the four vendors - Gumshire, Aroora and Mallee Grove from SA and Bungendore from WA.
The sale average was $960 and included boars and gilts from Large White, Landrace, Berkshire, Duroc and Hampshire breeds.
Aroora Enterprises, Brinkley, sold the second-highest price pig Aroora Redwinner J104 at $2100.
It worked out very well, it finished up about where I thought it would, vendors were very happy.
- DAVID SCHULTZ
Nutrien Ag Solutions' David Schultz, Mount Pleasant, was delighted with the outcome.
"As far as we know there has not been an online stud pig sale in Australia before," Mr Schultz said.
"It worked out very well, it finished up about where I thought it would, vendors were very happy.
"We held a get together at our office with three of the vendors to mark the occasion, it was new for all of us."
The auction attracted 52 registered bidders and 264 bids, Mr Schultz said they normally get between 20 and 30 register at their regular sale.
"One figure that really opened my eyes - the catalogue received more than 1773 views," Mr Schultz said.
The online sale also reduced biosecurity threats impacting pig producers' confidence to source stud pigs.
"We are going to continue with the online auction and we are looking at holding maybe two to three each year," Mr Schultz said.
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