Day two at the Hawarden Ewe Fair on Friday, January 31, proved to be tough one for vendors and auctioneers alike, with about one-third of the 8500 two-tooth ewes offered for sale returning home unsold. Peter Walsh & Associates auctioneer Allister Orchard said it was unprecedented for so many ewes to /remain unsold, with 1500 of the 4000 sheep offered by his firm returning home. We couldn’t see them for the dust.’’It was a far cry from the first day of the sale, when there was a full clearance of about 18,000 mixed-age ewes. But others were not so lucky, with few sales passing $200 and ‘‘some very good ewes going for $180 to $200’’, Mr Orchard said. ‘‘The coronavirus is having an impact with the ports not operating, but when the Chinese come back into the market they will want our product.’’-By David Hill

Source: Otago Daily Times February 11, 2020 15:33 UTC