HEAVY rain and flooding across the country has wreaked havoc on stud breeders holding on property sales this week, with several reporting lower competition due to stranded clients.
This spring ram selling season has had its fair share of logistical problems as regions across the country receive three times last year's annual rainfall in just six months.
In South Australia, Ulandi Park Poll Dorsets, Kapunda, “horrendous” flooding, which inundated the south east of the state, delayed the on-property sale to this afternoon to enable four wheeled drives to access the property.
“It has been an absolute flood zone with trees down everywhere,” Ulandi Park principal Clayton Rowett said.
“If the forecasts are right for today and the water subsides the sale is all go.”
The Rowett family have four assembly points surrounding the property to transport clients to the auction shed where 132 rams will be on offer at 3pm.
Mr Rowett said he expected increased phone bidding from clients impacted by the State’s wild weather.
For Pooginook Merinos property manager John Sutherland, Jerilderie, NSW, the impact was a hit to competition at the recent on property ram sale on Tuesday with eight clients unable to attend due to the region’s floods.
“The wet spring is so extreme it is becoming an impact on business (logistics),” Mr Sutherland said.
“It is such an unusual event it is impeded on the average persons’ either ability to attend the sale or his revenue from the farm because of crop damage.
“Several high value, long-term clients who compete on about 35 rams were unable to purchase due to flooding on their farm so there were some stud rams that didn’t happen.”
Despite these challenges, Pooginook sold two lots shy of the 233 ram offering to $15,000 and averaged $2108.
For Armdale Park Poll Dorset principal Garry Armstrong – who is hosting an 220-head on property ram sale on Friday – three of the five access roads to the Marrar, southern NSW property, have been closed due to flooding.
“We have had 65 millimetres of rain this week and I’ve stopped adding up the month’s total,” Mr Armstrong said.
“We’ve had to shed rams which are normally outside and it has been a challenge getting them to sale standard because of the lack of sunny days it’s hard to present them to the standard they normally would be.”
On Wednesday, Culcairn-based Scott Mitchell endured a hail storm and flooding across the family’s Rene Stud property which he said caused further headaches preparing for Friday’s ram sale which will offer 170 Poll Dorsets, White Suffolks and Charollais.
“I fixed a road earlier this week which has already washed away,” Mr Mitchell said.
“Canola is falling over because it is too wet and crops are starting to suffer and die because they’ve been sitting in water for four months.
“The silver lining is the lamb prices have held strong for a year now and the spring and summer looks promising so there is a good outlook for farming.”