Buyers heading for the early NSA Wales & Border Ram Sale at the Royal Welsh Showground next month will have a wider choice than ever before. The numbers forward are well up at eight hundred and it will be the first opportunity to select Charmoise Hill sheep.

The Charmoise is a hill breed in France and can be used as a terminal sire on hill breeds here. Eighty five Texel females have also helped to boost the numbers.

Sale chairman, George Hughes, said breeders have taken heart from last year's very good trade and are targeting producers who want commercial rams for early lambing flocks.

"A lot of buyers like to have their rams early", he added. "They can acclimatise them to the farm and turn them out when they are ready.

"Buyers have come to appreciate that all our rams are inspected and very good quality. This has become a hallmark of the sale.

"We're expecting a good trade because although lamb prices have been better, producers know that they have to invest in the best quality for their market".

The wealth of technical informational at the Builth Wells sale means buyers can make an informed selection in a pleasant atmosphere.

Purchasers can select superior meat producing tups by referring to the sire reference scheme indexes, the MLC star rating, and genotype status. It means that there is good solid evidence available in terms of carcass, conformation, and growth rates.

The catalogue gives additional information and all rams at the sale are also independently inspected. The quality means that the NSA Ram Sale is the first stop for leading sheep producers. They want the finest genetics.

The early ram sale will take place on August 1, the main sale is to be held on September 19.