Smokey Vier (CC220392), a Meatmaster ram from the Smokey breeding line of Collett Genetics known for producing strong offspring, fetched the highest price at the stud’s 40th production auction on 26 February.

By Johan Norval

Lennon Nkosi of Nelspruit, a well-known auctioneer who regularly acquires select breeding material, bought the ram for R90 000 at the auction held on the farm La Rochelle outside Venterstad.

According to Mario du Preez, who runs the stud with his father-in-law, Clynton Collett, the Smokey breeding line started with the ram Gunsmoke, followed by Rooker and Vlam. The stud sire Vlam was sold at their production auction in 2025 for R250 000 to Wessel Fourie of Nu Vino near Pretoria.

Two other rams, CC220031 and CC240323, a father and son respectively, each fetched R80 000. The buyers of these rams were Riaan Botha of the farm Deelfontein near Somerset West and Jean du Plessis of Hopetown respectively.

The average price of the 70 stud rams was R22 700 and that of the 12 flock rams R8 916.

The group of 86 flock ewe lambs averaged R3 190, 116 ewes R3 867, 100 flock ewes R3 714 and 85 pregnant ewes R5 242.

Vleissentraal Port Elizabeth presented the auction in collaboration with the Meerkat platform. The auctioneer was André van Zyl.