Elders Rural Services

Sep 1, 2023

MW Copy The principals of the Garnett SheepMaster stud, Elleker, have announced they are selling the stud and have appointed Elders to manage the sale. The stud has broken a number of records in the past couple of years including selling the highest price ram in WA in 31 years at its ram sale last year for $110,000. With the $110,000 ram sold by Garnett SheepMaster, Elleker, at last years National SheepMaster Ram Sale at Elleker, to Orrie Cowie Genetics, Warooka, South Australia, were Elders State general manager Nick Fazekas (left), Garnett SheepMaster parent stud principals Neil Garnett and Alison Bannan, Brian and Susi Prater, Elleker, Elders South Australia stud stock representative Alistair Keller, buyer John Dalla, Orrie Cowie Genetics, Elders Minlaton, South Australia, branch manager Adam Pitt and Elders auctioneer Nathan King. Elders Rural Services has been appointed by Neil Garnett and business partners, Brian and Susi Prater and Alison Bannan, to manage the sale of the Garnett SheepMaster stud, Elleker. The sale presents a unique opportunity to acquire the leading shedding sheep stud in Australia. The stud is being offered as a turnkey opportunity, with all stud ewes and progeny, young rams, trademark, all marketing material and a full history of sheep performance records. There is massive opportunity for Australia to increase even further its dominance of the international lamb market, with the New Zealand sheep flock reduced for dairy production. All the growing economies in the world are sheep meat consumers and there is global shortage of lamb. The fundamentals for lamb meat are extremely strong globally and likely to lead to strong growth in demand in the coming years. Shedding sheep are playing an increasing and important role in the industry, allowing sheep producers options to manage rising costs, address animal welfare concerns and mitigate variable climatic conditions. The SheepMaster breed is a 100 per cent shedding sheep, eliminating the need for shearing, crutching, mulesing and tailing and associated infrastructure. Mr Garnett has an unequalled track record of breeding high performing sheep suited to Australian conditions, as former owner of Collinsville Merino stud and holder of the world record for the highest priced ram ever sold. He was awarded the Advanced Australia Award in 1989 by the Federal government for his contribution to sheep breeding industry and he has broken more ram sale records with the SheepMaster breed selling the highest priced ram in WA for 31 years at $110,000 last year and a sale average of $10,159, the highest of any breed in the State. Over a period of 30 years, founding breeder Mr Garnett has established the SheepMaster breed from a base of eight different meat and shedding sheep breeds from Israel, Europe, Africa, and Australia. Based on his 50 years of sheep breeding experience, Mr Garnett adhered to a strict selection criterion, putting the best with the best. The outcome is a silky skinned sheep, 100pc shedding, with high fertility and resilience to climatic variability. The principle aim was to produce a sheep that stripped out as many production costs as possible. Elders national livestock manager, Peter Homann said the breed has a unique and enviable value proposition for producers committed to the versatility and potential of the shedding breed of sheep. "The breed has significant potential for further growth in the sheep wheat zone of Australia - it is a high meat yielding breed able to perform across a wider climatic range," Mr Homann said. "We believe there is also the potential for this breed to push into some areas traditionally dominated by cattle." Mr Garnett said the sale was unique as it is offering a dynamic opportunity for a buyer who sees the value and potential of the SheepMaster breed to acquire 100pc of the parent flock. "We are offering to the market an opportunity for the successful buyer to control the parent stud of this high-performance breed, build on our dedicated and growing client base and expand the breed into new areas," Mr Garnett said. "We have worked tirelessly to develop a functional and commercially viable shedding maternal breed that will drive increased profitability and sustainability in the lamb/sheep meat sector. "We feel we have achieved what we set out to do by growing a true shedding breed that can provide huge commercial and animal welfare benefits to the producer. "This sale offers a discerning buyer an incredible opportunity to shape the next era of Australian sheep breeding." Andrew Hodgson, an adviser to Mr Garnett for many years and principal of Shedding Sheep Australia (a dedicated shedding sheep consultancy firm) said the interest and demand for shedding-type sheep continues to grow at an unprecedented rate, driven mainly by labour and management concerns. "Both my commercial and stud clients are increasing across all climatic and grazing environments on an almost daily basis, with producers keen for information about how to transition to a clean skinned maternal ewe flock, while maintaining key production performance criteria," Mr Hodgson said. Elders general manager of farmland agency Mark Barber said it was rare to have the opportunity to acquire control of the foundation genetics of such a high performing animal breed such as this. "The growth potential for the successful buyer is substantial in an industry that Australia dominates globally," Mr Barber said. The stud is being offered by way of a two-stage expression of interest process supported by comprehensive performance data and full access to the principal and stud adviser. Expressions of interest (EOI) for the sale of the stud close on Friday, September 15. For enquiries and EOI contact Mark Barber, 0427 603 433 or Peter Homann, 0427 277 073. Share