Prized sheep sold for Dh75,000 at auction

A Najdi sheep was sold for Dh75,000 at an agricultural exhibition in Al Ain.

Farmers look for leanness, height, neck length, head size, fleece quality and jaw width when buying sheep.

AL AIN // A male sheep was sold for Dh75,000 at a livestock auction this week.

Abdul Rahman Al Arouk, from Saudi Arabia, bought the sheep from Emirati Abdullah Al Nasseri, who took two days to make the decision to sell, saying he was upset the sheep was going to leave the country. Mr Al Nasseri is known as one of the best breeders in the area. The two-year-old sheep was of the Najdi breed, which is considered a "pure variety and one of the top breeds on the market."

"It means its health is in top shape and its offspring will also be in perfect health," said Mohammad Ali, a witness at the auction. "There is a certain prestige attached to it."

It was the highest price paid for a sheep at the auction, although one man tried to sell his sheep for Dh150,000.

The auction, attended by breeders from the UAE, Saudi and Oman, took place at the Agricultural Exhibition in Al Ain.

"The point is not to butcher the sheep the next day but to use it for procreation," said Mr Ali. "The objective is to bring in more business for them once they breed them in their farms".

Farmers look for leanness, height, neck length, head size, fleece quality and jaw width when buying sheep. Two ewes, named Tohfa (masterpiece) and Bashayer (good tidings) were sold for a total of Dh60,000 to another Saudi breeder. All the sheep were under four years old and, overall, eight head of sheep were sold for Dh205,000.