GRAAF-REINET – Lesotho farmer Mpho Sekonyela has bought a merino ram for R300,000 in South Africa – setting a new price record for that country.
The ram now called the “Mega Beast” was sold by Jacques Pienaar of Mega Merinos at the annual auction held by Merino SA.
The Pienaar family has been in the business for 122 years and the Mega Merinos stud was first bred by Andries du Toit Pienaar in 1907.
Last year, the stud sold more than 1100 rams, and the family is known for topping wool sales and ram sales winning major awards.
Merino SA says the average price for the 58 rams sold on Friday was also a new SA record of R53 379.
Another merino ram was sold for R150 000 by Andries & Jan Pienaar of Trumps Merinos to Smaldeel Merino group at the auction