LIVE STOCK MARKETS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 221, 18 September 1930, Page 4

LIVE STOCK MARKETS.

EXPORT VALUES BETTER.

MUTTON PRICES LOW,

LOCAL FAT STOCK CHEAPER

The exp6rt markets for Dominion produce have shown a gratifying improvement, since last report. Dairy produce, after a long period of, dullness, is slightly firmer, both for butter and cheese. Values, however, at' 128/ to 130/ per cwt for butter, and 75/ to 76/ for cheese, are very low,' according to the' standards of recent years. However, lower payments for butterfat have not appreciably affected the tone of the local tlairy stock market. Milk cows and heifers are in as keen demand as ever, and increased productiveness may justify the prices paid. The demand for first quality New Zealand lamb at Smithfield was greater last week, and the improvement extended to secondary quality, which had been dull of sale for a considerable period. Wether mutton, too, Was nioviiig off more freely. Attention has frequently been drawn in these columns to the very low prices, realised at Smithfield in recent months for New Zealand mutton, and the subject ie referred to in. the annual review just issued by'Pyhe," Gould, Guinees, Ltd. The remarks of this well-known Canterbury firm may be commended to Auckland graziers:— ,--..' ; '■ "Mutton prices are not so important from the point of view of the Canterbury farmer, as they are to the North Island farmer, but we have to record very disappointing prices indeed for fat stock, but even at the low prices paid we understand that operators have lost very heavily. At the time" of writing ewes in England are . selling> as low as 2Yzd per lb and wethers as,low as 4%d per lb. These prices are the lowest.that have been seen for many years, and are actually below pre-war values. "Losses made by'operators on mutton are said to be very serious indeed, and there is no confidence in any immediate increase- in values. We have many times in. the , past emphasised our belief that Canterbury has done right by concentrating on lambs, and there is no reason to believe that the same policy will not be the right one for the future. It is recognised by authorities in England that mutton is becoming increasingly more unpopular among consumers, despite its low price, and the demand continues to shift on to lamb." " ■

At Westfield yesterday there was a large entry of beef cattle,. ' and prices declined sharply in' consequence. Veal calves and runners, however, maintained late ratee. Sheep and hoggets, too, were more plentiful, and here again the market eased. Spring lambs came forward in increased numbers, and met a brisk demand. In the/pig . classes an average yarding changed] hands with recent quotations fully maintained. The range of prices,' together with those ruling a week ago, were, as follow: —

~-, bALGETY AND COMPANY. Dalgety and Company, Ltd,, report on th<? weekly We'stfield fat stock market yesterday as follows:— .Cattle.—We offered ox, beef in more than usual numbers, and the quality of the offering was the best that has come forward for some time. The demand did not prove equal to the supply, however, and values showed a sharp decline on last week's rates.' We offered an exceptionally fine line of extra pi'ime heavy bullocks on account of Mr. A. Urquhart, Karaka, which,realised, £17 to £17 15/, the latter, being the top price .reached in:the sale. Also included in our offering was a truck of extra prime and well-bred Hereford bullocks on account of Messrs. Petch Bros., Te Kuiti, which realised £15 5/ to £17. Extra heavy prime bullocks realised £17 to £17-15/; heavy prime, £15 17/6 to' £16 10/; medium prime, £14 to £15; lighter prime, £12 15/ to £13 10/; light and unfinished, £10 5/ to- £11 10/. Cow and heifer beef came forwai'd in; larger 'numbers than last : week, and here apain values for all classes were easier. Prime heavy cows realised to £.14: medium prime, £10 to £10 15/;' lighter prime, £8 to- £10; light prime, £7 to £7 15/; other sorts, £5'5/ to £6 5/. Extra,choice ox sold to 39/ per 1001b: choice and prime, , 36/ to 38/; just kiljable, 33/ to 35/; prime young cow and heifer, 34/ to 36/; just killable. 26/ to 33/; : Sheep. l —More .than average numbers came forward, the quality being well up to standard. Competition was not keen, however, and late rates;were hardly maintained. Hoggets and ewes, of which a fair number came forward, were not in strong demand, and were easier of values. Good hoggets realised 24/6 to 26/9; medium, 21/ to 23/6; light, 18/; heavy prime wethers, 28/9 to 29/3; medium, 27/3 to 27/6; light and unfinished, 15/9; heavy prime ewes, 22/6 to 23/; lighter, 21/6; other ewes. 13/9 to 16/3'.

Calves—There was 'steady sale'at full •late rates for all classes. Heavv vealers made £4 10/ to £5 5/; medium, £3 10/ to £4 5/; light, £2.2/ to £3 3/; small, 15/ to. 35/. ;, , ' Pigs.—Baconers made, equivalent to last week's prices; porkers; improved under good competition: stores were in strong demand. Heavy baconers brought £3 6/ to £3 10/; medium. £3 1/ to £3 5/; light, £2 17/ to £3; lieavy porkers, £2 14/ to £2 19/; medium and light, £2.6/.to £2 12/., ■ ; , ' : •

LOAN AND MERCANTILE. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company report on ,the Westfield fat stock market yesterday as follows:—' Cattle.—Beef '.was Denned in large numbers, and in consequence values were decidedly lower, quotations being' affected by from 2/ to 3/ per 1001b. heavier cattle being affected most.' Extra choice ox sold to£l 19/ per 1001b; choice and prime. £1 16/ to,£l 18/j ordinary and plain, £1 13/ to £1 15/6: prime young cow,and heifer beef, £1 14/ to £1 17/: ordinary cow beef, £1 10/.to £1 13/. Extra heavy prime' steers ranged in price from £16 to £16 17/6; "heavy prime, £14.10/ to £15 15/; lighter prime, £12, to £14 5/; light'prime, : £10 15/ to £11 17/6; unfinished and small; ,£8 10/ to £10 10/; extra, heavy prime, young cows and "heifers, £11 to £14 5/; heavy prime. £9 to £10 17/6; lighter, £7 15/ to £8 17/6; light cows, £6.10/ to £7 10/; other cows, £5 to £6 5/.. :. Sheep,r^-Large , , numbers ! were yarded, with prime wether mutton selling at almost late rates. Prime ewes and unfinished .wethers were lower. Tieavy prime wethers made £ 1-9/6,J0: £1 10/9; medium-prime, £18/ to £1 9/3;-light prime, £1 6/6 to £1 7/9; small"Jand .unfinished, £10/6 to £1 6/3; heavy prime ewes; £14/ to £1, 5/6; medium prime, £11/6 to £13/9; ligh't prime, ;18/ to ,£1 1/; inferiorly fatted ewes, 7/6 upwards; heavy prime hoggets, £13/6 to £1 6/6; medium,-£1 1/6 to £.1 3/'; light; 18/ to £11/. • u> • \ ■:■; ; I 'Spring numbers sold readily.at late values, selling at from £1 4/3 to £1 9/9. • , . < • Pigs:—Average numbers were penned. Values were firm on last -Aveek's. quota- - tions , . Choppers sold from £3 to £4712/6; heavy "and'inedium baconers,,. £3 5/ to -£3 10/;'.' light baconers and heavy porkers, £2' 16/ to.' £3.3/;. medium and light porkers, I £2 10/,.t0; £2 14/; small and unfinished

porkers, £2 4/ to £2 8/. A small yarding of store pigs sold at late quotations.; Large stores, £2 to £2 4/; slips, £1 12/ to £1 18/; weaiiers, 15/ to £1 12/. Calves.—Large numbers were penned and late values were fully maintained. Runners made £5 10/ to £85/; heavy vealers, £5 to £5 15/; medium, £4 4/ to £4 18/; light, £3 10/ to £4 2/'; smaller, £2 10/' to £3 6/; small and fresh dropped, 7/ to £2 8/; rough calves/ £ 1 to £2 5/." '

ALFRED BUCKLAND AND SONS,

Alfred Buckland and Sons, Limited, report on the Westfield fat stock market yesterday .as follows:— ■ ■ ■ ■'.

Cattle.—We penned fat cattle ,to the number of 304 head, as compared with 267 head at last week's sale, comprising 218 steers and 86 cows and heifers. The yarding included many lines of heavy prime cattle. There was a falling off in the demand and generally values were easier by fully £ 1 a head, heavy steers suffering most. Extra choice ox sold to £1 19/ per 1001b; choice and, prime, £1 16/6 to £l 18/; secondary and plain, £1 14/ to £1 16/; prime young cow and heifer beef, £1 14/ to £1 17/; ordinary cow beef,. £1 8/- to £1 13/. Extra heavy prime steers ranged in price from £16 to £16 10/; heavy prime, £13 15/ to £15 17/6; lighter prime, £13 15/ to £14 17/6; light prime, £12 10/ to £13 12/6; . small and unfinished, £9 to £12 7/6; extra heavy prime young cows and heifers, £12 to £14 5/; heavy prime cows and heifers, £10. to £11 15/; lighter prime, £8 to £9 17/0; other killable cows, £5 5/ to £7 17/0. " Sheep ■. —There was again a heavy yarding of sheep. '■ Prime wether mutton sold at about late rates and all other classes were lower in value. There were 1736 sheep l , sold. Extra heavy prime' woolly wethers realised £1 9/6 to £110/9; heavy prime Woolly wethers, £1 7/6 to £19/3; heavy prime shorn wethers, £1.3/ to £1 4/; medium to heavy prime wethers (woolly), £1 6/ to £1 7/3; light to medium prime wethers (woolly), £1 4/ to £1 5/9; unfinished wethers (woolly), £1 1/6 to £1 3/9; jHime hoggets, £1 4/ to , £1 6/6; lighter prime, £1 2/6 to £1 3/9; plain; 18/6 to £1 2/; heavy prime ewes (woolly), £1 2/ to £1 3/6;. lighter prime (woolly), £1 0/6 to £1 1/9; other killable ewes (woolly), 17/6 to £1. "

Spring lambs iii increased numbers were penned and met with a' brisk.sale. Best sold at from £1 8/ to £1 11/; lighter, '£1 5/ to £1; 7/6. A total, of 61 was sold. • Calves. —We had a, full yarding of fat and young calves and 382 were sold. Prime runners and vealers continue to sell readily. Bunners made £5 15/ to £8 10/; heavy vealers, £5 to £5 10/; medium, £3 17/ to £4 10/; light, £3 2/ to £3 9/; small vealers, £2 2/ to , £2 10/; bucket-fed calves, £1 10/ to'£l 15/; rough and unfinished, £1 3/ to £18/; small andlreshdropped, 4/ to 19/. ~ r ., ( _ ■ . Pigs.—-There was less than an average entry of fat pigs.' Competition,was steady and all classes sold at'. improved rates. Choppers. made £3 to £7, according to weight; heavy baconers, £3 8/ to £3 13/; medium, £3 3/ to £3 6/; light, |£2 19/ to £3 1/; heavy porkers; £2 15/ to £2 18/; light and medium, £2 6/ to £2 13/; small and unfinished, £1 18/ to £2 2/. Stores were also wanted.. Best framed made £1 17/ to £2 4/; good slips, £1-14/ to £116/; best weaners, £16/ to £1 11/; small, 18/ to £1 2/. A total of 281 pigs was sold.

IN THE COUNTRY. Alfred Buckland and Sons, Limited, report:—During the week, we held cattle sales ,at Westffeld, .Pukekohe, Turua, Pokeno, Kumeu, ■ Cle.vedon, Helensville and llunciman; a pig sale-at Pukekohe and the annual bull sale, on account, of the Franklin Jersey Breeders' Club (in conjunction, with the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency' Company,' Limited). Large yardings-of cattle came forward at all centres and found . .keen buyers, all classes being in demancL Best diviry cows, £14 to £19; good cows, £11 10/ to £13 15/; other dairy Il cows ; £5 10/ tp £11 5/; best springingheifers, £12 10/ to 15/; average heifers,. £9 to £12 5/j'small-and backward heifers, '£5 15/ to'.£B 17/6; empty young cows and heifers/£5 to £7; store and boner cows, £2 to £6 10/; fat cows and heifers, £7 to £14 5/; fat steers, £11 10/ to £15 2/6; grown steers, in'forward condition, £10 15/ to £11 10/; four-year-old steers, £9 10/ to £10 12/6; three to four-year-old steers, £8 10/ tot£9 10/; 2 to 3-year-old steers, £7. 10/ to £8 10/.; yearling to 2-year-old steers, £5 to £7 7/6; well-bred" yearling to fifteen-raonths-old dairy heifers, £6 10/ to £8 12/6;'. other yearling heifers, £3 10/ to £6 7/6; cows with xalves, £7 to £10 10/; sound young herd bulls, £6 6/ to £15 15/; heavy bulls, £3 10/ to £5 5/;, other bulls, £1 10/ to £3 10/. A report of the pedigree Jersey bull sale has already appeared t in the "Star." A large entry of pigs at Pukekohe sold at values' Oft' fa' par with West-., field rates '. ', ' ■ ■■•'- ;:-i •■.

• The New "Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, were held during the past week at'Westfield, Warkworth, Papakura, Paeroa and Ngatea, with all classes of .cattle selling at late rates. We quote:—Best dairy cows and heifers, £12 to £17 10/; others, £7 10/ to '£11 10/; aged cows and inferior lieifers, £4 to £7 fi/> herd bulls, £6 to £10 10/, according to quality; potter bulls, £3 to £6 5/; boner cows, £2 10/ to £5 12/6; store cows, £4 to £6 17/6;! yearling heifers, £3 to -£6 5/; yearling to 18months steers, £4 to £6 15/; 2to 2%-year steers, £7 to £8 5/; 3 to 3%-year steers, '£8 10/ to £9 15/; steers, in forward condition, £10 to £10 15/. Beef at full West-" field rates. . /.

ADDINGTOIM. FAT STOCK CHEAPER. . Wednesday.: . Entries were about normal at the stock sale' at Addiiigton to-day; Fat cattle and fat sheep' eased in price..- I There was a moderate entry of store sheep, which mot with freer competition although prices showed little advance. The' following prices; were realised:-?- VStore Sheep.—Good two-tooth halfibred ewes, 25/3 to 25/9; medium two-tooth half-bred-ewes, to 20/3; good sound mouth three-quarter-bred ewes, to 18/6; ordinary sound-., mouth ewes, 13/9 ■• to 15/6; full mouth 1 ewes,. 10/6. to 13/; ;;■ medium ewe hoggets, 14-/ to 17/4; ordinary ewe hoggets; to \ 13/3; wether hoggete, , £>/6 to 11/0; ewes and lambs; to'B/9; spring lambs, 30/ to 33/. up to 37/. Fat Sheep.—Values for heavy sheep were I down by 2/" to 2/6 a head and light wethers by about 1/. Extra prime wethers made to , 38/7; prime wethers, 29/ to 33/; medium wethers, 24/ to 28/6; light wethers, 20/ to 23/; .extra prime ewes, to , 34/7; prime ewes, 24/ to 28/; medium ewes, .18/ to 22/6; light ewes, to 17/; prime hoggets, 20/ to 23/.' . . . ' - Fat -Cattle.—There 'were 1400 'head yarded. Values were db\vri by about 2/ per 1001b. Good beef made, 44/ to 18/, a few pens to 52/; heavy beef, to 42/;" cow, 41/ to 37/. ■, \ '. > t .;: Fat Pigs.—There was a small yarding of., pork , and bacon. All sorts met with a; keen demand and'bacon prices ■ firmed a' shade. Pork remained■'unchanged.' Porkers made 54/6 to 62/G;. heavy porkers, to 78/6; average price per lb, 9%d 10/ Vi; baconers, '£4 1/6 to \£o; heavy, to $5. 18/6; average price per lb, i 8d to B%d; choppers, £3 to £3 3/6. • ' >•■ . . : : ;

PRICES AT JOHNSONVILLE. . Wright, Stephensoh and Company, Ltd.; and Abraham arid Williams,. Ltd:,. , report oil, the "Johnsonville; sale ..as follows:—In epite of the inclement weather'there •ivas a large attendance of the pu,blie. We offered an .average yarding of prime quality bullocks. The sheep ■•yarding was larger than usual/. Bullocks met with a good sale, prices' sho.wing no alteration •as 'conipared ■ with last week's rates. A, few pens .af shorn wethers, the first of the seaeon,'.were in good demand -and ewes met.with'a.keen sale at last , week's rates. Hsiggets were yar4ed ■in larger numbers than usual, apd a total clearance ■was effected: Spring lambs; were' in' keen demand at last week's rates.' We quote:— Cattle: Heavy bullocks,' £lp' 3/ to £17; mediuhii-weight bullocks, ■■■• to £15 15/; ordinary bullocks, to £14 10/. :'; Shee£: Extra, heavy woolly wethers, to ,32/; extra heavy, shorn * wethers, to . 29,'6; heavy 1 wethers,-; to 31/; .good medium 'wethers, Jo 2S/9; light: and " unfinished withers. t)> 2C/6;.'.heavy e\v,es, 23/10 -to 25/6; other ewes, to 22/9; hoggets, 19/3 U 24/; la?nfe;. t0".28/2. . ■ • : ;,: -"- ,, T "'r,

This week. ■ Last" week! BEEF (per 1001b)— ExtrdT choice ox 39/ 42/ Choice and prime ox- 30/ to 3S/ 3S/ to 41/ Choice and prime cow and heifer 34/ to 37/ 3S/ to 40/ SHEEP (per head)— Prime wethers. 24/ to 30/9 26/ to 32/9 Unfin. wethers. 20/6 to 26/3 21/6 to 26/6 Prime ewes .... 17/6 to' 25/6 17/6 to 28/6 Hoggets ......' 18/ to 26/6 12/6 to 29/9 Spring lambs ... 24/5 to 31/ 24/3 to 31/ CALVES (per head)— Runners ...... 110/ to 165/ 105/ to 155/ Vealers : 42/ to 115/ 40/ to 120/ PIGS (per head) — Baconers ...... 56/ to 75/ 55/ to 75/ Porkers ....... 38/ to 61/ 39/ to 61/ Weaners 18/ to 31/ 20/ to 33/ Slips ........... 34/ to. 36/, 32/ to 40/ Large stores . . 37/. to '44/ 40/ to 4S/