The 51st Merino production auction of Heuningkrans Merinos in the Smithfield district on 26 February reflected the current trend in the wool sheep industry of stable to relatively high average prices for stud rams. Demand for ewes was also strong. The stud will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2027.
By Johan Norval
The highest price of R58 000 for ram 345-24-1213 from Eduard Prinsloo and his father, Eddie, lifted the average price of the 78 rams to R11 205. The buyers were Willie and Willem Oosthuizen from the Môreson farm at Albertinia.
The Du Toit brothers from Grootfontein paid the highest price of R24 000 for a polled ram. The average prices for the female animals were as follows: 49 stud ewes (two-tooth) at R2 600, 155 flock ewes (two-tooth) at R2 216, 10 aged stud ewes at R2 000, 105 aged flock ewes at R1 600 and 30 ewe lambs at R1 700.
Three Dormer rams achieved an average price of R5 333, while pregnant and non-pregnant Dormer ewes averaged R3 750 and R3 000 respectively.
One of the Heuningkrans stud’s most loyal supporters attending its production auctions is Sas du Plessis, who turns 98 in December this year. He operates a full farming enterprise, which he manages three days a week from Bloemfontein. He farmed full-time for 33 years and part-time for a further 25 years.
Wimpie du Plessis, former general manager of Vleissentraal in Bloemfontein and one of the four Du Plessis children, says his father met his mother, Hettie Hugo, at the age of 16 at Hoërskool Hendrik Potgieter, and they have been married for 72 years. One of Sas’s sons, Hugo, also farms in the Reddersburg district.
BKB hosted the auction on the farm and Jovaan Cloete was the auctioneer.
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