Pinnaroo saleyard record of $310 made

Offering 2500 sheep and lambs, more than 50 per cent of sheep were sold interstate but the $310 top price pen was sold locally to Spence, Dix and Co.

Offered by Gunallo Merino and Poll Merino stud's Ray Schroeder, Pinnaroo, the 115, August-shorn one-and-a-half-year-old ewes had an average weight of 62 kilograms.

Despite the $310 top price being reached midway through the offering, the sale begun with a bang, after MB&KJ&JB Heinicke, Pinnaroo, made $285 for 198 April/May 2019-drop Hamilton Run-bld ewes that were knocked down to Elders Ouyen.

Young ewes prices remained strong, with PD&DF Colwill, Parilla, making $280 for 218, 1.5yo Glenlea Park-bld August-shn ewes that were sold to Spence, Dix & Co, Keith.

JP&ME Beckmann, Lameroo, made $240 for 86, July-shn young ewes that averaged 63.4kg and sold to Pinkerton, Palm, Hamlyn and Steen, Naracoorte.

Nutrien Ag Pinneroo David Daniel said prices were $20 dearer than expected.

"Going back eight weeks ago, we were not even sure there would be a sale - so to see the prices this good, it is brilliant," he said.

"The top price sheep were a very good, even line of ewes - this year, we also had clients chasing smaller lines of sheep too, so it was a popular pen.

"Interstate buyers offered a lot of support - this definitely underpinned the sale."

Older ewe prices peaked at $222, as expected by agents, after a flock dispersal from Hyde Brothers, Parilla, offered 199 April/May 2016-drop August-shn ewes were sold to a Stawell,Vic, buyer on Auctions Plus.

PD&DF Colwill, Parilla, made $220 for 190 5.5yo August-shn Glenlea Park-bld ewes that went the same way, while CA,ME,MJ&TJ Atze, Pinnaroo, made $210 for 255 August-shn ewes that also went to Stawell.

Elders Lameroo/Pinnaroo branch manager Jarryd Finch said young sheep sold to "realistically" where the market was at.

"They sold to what we anticipated but aged ewes sold exceptionally well," he said.

"The introduction of Auctions Plus for the first time at this Elders sale kicked the sale along well - it really opened up the market.

"The interstate buyers obviously could not attend the sale and it would have been an opportunity missed if we could not sell to them."

The wether section sold to a top of $150 after Highgate Farms, Pinnaroo, offered 118 August-shn Gunallo-blds to Elders Lameroo, while CA,ME,MJ&TJ Atze, made $130 for 75, Gunallo/Ridgway-blds that averaged 36.7kg and sold to Nutrien Ag Loxton.