COMMERCIAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 123, 9 March 1950, Page 7

COMMERCIAL

GRAIN AND PRODUCE

RYEGRASS FIRM

A fair amount of activity lias taken place on the local market during the week. The market for perennial, Italian and short rotation ryegrass remains exceptionally firm and some high prices have been paid to growers for need of export. The market for Italian is particularly strong. White clover is still inquired for, but the market has steadied. No inquiry exists for cowgrass or red clover and remains lifeless. Owing to the absence of export inquiry merchants have reduced their buying limits for partridge peas and lupins. The linseed harvest is still being proceeded with and some good yields have-been reported.- The market for chaff remains quiet at recent quotations. Other markets remain unaltered. Range of Prices The range of prices is as follows, all on trucks at country stations, sacks extra unless otherwise stated: — Wheat —Tuscan 8s 9d a bushel, Hunters, 8s lid, Velvet 9s Id, Marquis 9s 3d, all f.o.b. (less id a bushel insurance); Hilgendorf 9s 9d. Oats—“A” Gartons 5s a bushel, “B” grade 4s 9d (nominal), Algerians 4s to 4s 9d undergrade 4s 6d, Duns 5s Gd to 6s, according to quality. Gs 7d, Cape and research Gs 4d a bushel.

Gress-seed —Mother perennial; £1 a bushel; certified permanent pasture, 19s; certified mother H, £1; standard, 18s Gd; certified Italian mother, 14s; standard, 14s; uncertified, 12s. Linseed —F.a.q. £32 a ton, contract. White Clover—Uncertified, 3s 6d; permanent pasture, 4s; mother, 4s 2d. Peas—Partridge 10s a bushel contract (No.'l’s), Prussian blues 11s Gd per bushel contract (No., l’s). Lupins—lls to 12s a bushel. ; Chaff—G.B.O.S. £7 a ton. Cocksfoot—2s 6d to 2s 9d (according to quality). Egg Prices Buying price for eggs this week is 3s Id plus 7Jd subsidy per dozen, and the retail price 3s 4d.

LAMBS REMAIN FIRM

TWOrTOOTH -DEARER AT ADDINGTON (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Mar. 8. . The store sheep entry at the Addington stock market to-day totalled 30,489, including 7777 lambs, 5742 two-tooths, 15,964 old ewes and 1066 wethers, compared with 27,871 last week. Entries came from all parts of the South Island, including Southland, Marlborough, the West Coast, d’Urville Island and the Chatham Islands.The lambs, were a fairly mixed lot. There was a good inquiry for carryover lambs at full current rates. Fattening lambs were slow at the start, but later firmed to about last week’s rates. Ewe lambs were dearer by about 2s. Best ewe lambs made to 48s, best wether, lambs 31s to 395, good 26s to 30s and others down to 20s. ' In the two-tooth section best sheep met an excellent demand at prices 4s to 5s higher than at recent sales, and on an average this type was 2s a head above current rates. Medium sorts were harder to sell, and in a rather erratic sale they were from par to 2s below last week’s rates. Old ewes with doubtful mouths sold well where they were showing condition and were 2s dearer than recent rates. The best of the two-tooths made 60s to 675, with sales of particularly good lots up to 87s 6d, good’ 52s to 60s, medium 44s to 51s and others down to 3Gs. Best four-year ewes made 46s to G2s (an Addington record price for this class of sheep), good 35s to 435, best sound-mouth 32s to 455, good 2Ss to 31s, and,aged and inferior down to 18s. Wethers made up to 4Ss for good .young sheep. The entry of fat lambs totalled 2219, compared with 1629 last. week. Best lambs sold well about late rates, but piedium and light sorts were Is to 2s cheaper. Best made 50s to 57s Id, good 40s to 495, medium and light 30s to 395. Ashburton sales were: H. A. Harrison (Rakaia) 20 at 55s Id to 55s Id; A. M. Stephens (Rakaia) 120 at 44s Id. The offering of fat sheep numbered 4500 —about 1000 more than last week. With a larger selection of wethers, values were down over most of the sale by 4s, but at the end this decline was recovered. Ewes were firm, with best inclined to be a shade dearer. Values: Extra prime heavy wethers, to 73s Id; prime heavy, 46s to 535; prime medium-weight, 40s to 455; ordinary and light, 32s to 395; extra prime ewes, to 45s Id; prime, 32s to 38s; prime medium-weight 28s to 31s Gd; ordinary and light, 20s to 275. Ashburton sales were: —J. Muckle (Rakaia), 128 ewes at 30s to 34s Id; W. H. Wilkinson (Chertsey), 66 hoggets at 45s Id to 56s Id; Mrs M. A. Hazlett (Rakaia), 12 wethers at 54s to 5Ss Id; F. Amos and Son (Lauriston), 21 ewes at 34s 7d; D. Crosson (Rakaia), 27. ewes at 22s Id to 23s Id; R. H. Maidens (Lauriston), 69 wethers at 58s 7d to 62s 7d; T. A. Hooper (Rakaia), 32 ewes at 31s 7(1 to 36s Id; W. G. Copland (Rakaia),'66 wethers at 50s Id to 58s Id; A. W. Taylor (Methven), 60 wethers at 595, Id to 68s Id. Although there was a relatively heavy entry of fat cattle —572 - head, compared with 447 last week —there was a strong sale throughout, and prices for all classes improved by 10s to £l. Best beef made 80s to Sss per 1001 b, good to 655, medium to 555, best cow to 60s, and secondary cow 36s 6d to 42s 6d. Values: prime heavy steers, to £35 17s 6d; prime heavy, £25 10s to £3O 10s; prime mediumweight, £ls 10s to £24 10s; ordinary and light, £9 10s to £l4 10s; extra prime heifers, to £26 17s 6d; prime, £l3 10s to £2O 10s; ordinary and light, £6 10s to £l2 10s; extra prime cows, to '£l9 2s Gd; prime, £lO 10s to £ls 10s; ordinary and plain, £5 10s to £lO. * The only Ashburton sale was: H. E. Cook (Rakaia), 3 cows a$ £l3 12s Gd to £l7 7s Gd. ;I’n the fat pig sale porkers were 4s to 5s dearer, choppers were up £1 to £2, and.baconers were dearer by 3s to 4s. Values: Light porkers, £4 8s Gd to £4 19s 6d; medium, £5 2s 6d to £5 14s 6d; heavy, £5 19s 6d to £6

9s 6u; choppers, £5 11s to £lO 8s Gd; light baconers, £6 14s Gd to £7 4s 6d; medium, £7 9s Gd to £7 17s 6d; heavy, £7 19s 6d to £8 9s Gd; average price per lb, lid to 12)d.

STOCKS AM) SHARES

The following transactions were recorded on the Christchurch Stock Exchange yesterday:— Sales on ’Change—Stock, 1960-63 3 per cent., £IOO ss; G. J. Coles (cum bonus), 24s Sd; Austral-N.Z., 7s. Sales reported: May, 1953-56, 3 per' cent., £IOO 10s: 1953-57 31 per. cent., £lOl ss; Canterbury Frozen Meat, £l7,