Windhoek — A karakul ram fetched a whopping price of N$30 000 at an Elite Karakul Ram auction held at Keetmanshoop last week.

At the auction, 64 rams were sold at an average price of N$3 000.

However, one ram fetched N$30 000 and was bought by karakul farmer Daniel Motinga (photo) from the Koës district.

Motinga was ranked among the top ten karakul producers in 2006.

The seller of the top ram was Giel Karstens from Karasburg, who was nominated as the top karakul pelt producer after 574 of his pelts were sold at an average price of N$590 at the Copenhagen fur auction in Denmark last week.

Agra's livestock manager, Pieter Hugo, said some outstanding prices were achieved at the Keetmanshoop auction, but most of the rams offered were too small and were not sold.

"Some of the rams that could not be auctioned were not fully grown, but with respect to the genetic side nothing was wrong," Hugo told The Namibian.

At last year's auction, a karakul ram was sold at a record price of N$38 000.

The ram was bred by Lovedale Farming.