By Johan Norval
The 26th annual national Afrino auction, held on 11 February on the farm Klein Zuurfontein near Bethulie, was relatively successful with the most expensive ram from Cois Swanepoel of Smithfield fetching R32 000. The buyer is Willem Strauss of Philippolis.
The Afrino is a sheep breed bred from the round-rib Afrikaner, the Merino and the South African Meat Merino.
Not all of the 45 rams and 70 ewes were sold. Martiens le Roux of Bethulie bred the group of non-pregnant two-tooth ewes that fetched the highest price of R1 950. The buyer is De Ridder van Wyk of Bloemfontein.
The average price of the rams was R8 450, ewe lambs R1 650 and non-pregnant two-tooth ewes R1 910.
The auction also marked the conclusion of the current intake for the Afrino veld ram project, to which animals are brought from all over the country.
Martiens le Roux, the project manager, says the animals were rounded up for the auction with the least amount of supplementary feeding under the same conditions. The sole aim is to breed veld-adapted sheep that are ready to mate.
Merino and Van Rooy rams were offered on behalf of the Southern Free State Veld Ram Club at the same event.
The most expensive Merino ram from Abrie Griessel of the farm Klein Zuurfontein was sold to Kosie le Roux for R10 500. The average price of the Merino rams was R6 750, Van Rooy rams R4 500 and non-pregnant two-tooth Merino ewes R1 690.
BKB Cradock hosted the auction. The auctioneer was JP Marais.
