AUCTIONS

NEWS

A record price of R120 000 was paid for this Dorper ram. From left to right: The seller Jasper Visser, stud manager of Omdraai Dorperstud near Prieska, the buyer Albert van Niekerk and his grandson, Gawie Carr, from Klipkoppies Doperstud near Kenhardt. Gawie started farming at Klipkoppies in January 2017 and will eventually take over the farming activities

During the 32nd Northern Cape Veldram Auction held at Griekwastad, buyers re-established that rams with genetic excellence are superior.

Klipkoppies Dorperstud, from Kenhardt district, paid a record amount of R120 000 for a Dorper ram with a veldram-selection-index (VSI) of 115, a reproduction-index (RI) of 110 and a Logix merit-index (LMI) of 121. The seller was Omdraai Dorperstud from the Britstown district.

This tendency was well observed with Dorper- as well as White dorper rams. 34 Dorper- and White dorper rams with a LMI of under 100 had an average price of R5 563.00. 35 rams with a LMI of 101 to 110 were sold at an average price of R6 564. 27 rams with a LMI of 111 to 120 had an average price of R8 494 and 34 rams with a LMI of more than 120 had an average price of R11 439.

It was interesting that the 61 flock rams were sold for an average of R344 more than the 43 stud rams. This is a good indication that buyers no longer buy on looks alone but prefer genetic value.