LIVE STOCK MARKETS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 118, 21 May 1931, Page 4

LIVE STOCK MARKETS.

LOW PRICES FOR STORES

FOLLOWING EXPORT VALUES. RAIN" HELPS PASTURES. i With the export season virtually closed the local live stock markets are at a quiet period and the dulncss is accentuated by the low price levels now ruling. Basins tlxeir ideas on export values purchasers have reduced tneir limits substantially. How severe this readjustment is may be judged from the fact that whereas four year-old steers were worth £9 to £9 10/ a head a year ago to-day corresponding values are from £3 10/ to £1. In the meantime the export outlet of beef from this country has been definitely closed through the severe competition of Argentine chilled beef. With no chance of selling our surplus beef outside the Dominion the price for fat etoc-k at We^tfield has dropped to 25/ per 1001b for extra choice ox, wliich compares with 37/ an May, 1930. In the dairy section low export values tell a similar tale though the difference is not so great. A year ago 'best Jersey ■heifers in calf were selling at £10 to £11, to-day tiie quotation is from £7 to £8. The slump in the world markets Tor wool anil the very low rates ruling for meat at Smithfield—3%d to 4%d per lbare naturally reflected in the price graziers are prepared to give for store sheep. A year ago 4 and 6-tooth breeding ewes were selling at 22/ to 22/6, now they are worth 7/6 to 8/6. Two-tooth wethers ruled at 18/ to 20/ in May, 1930, to-day they can be bought for 8/ to 9/. Figures like these demonstrate in striking fashion how intimate is the connection between the farmers of New Zealand, the meat markets at Smithfield and the 'butter stores cf Tooley Street. Also they show tliat the assets of the average farmer have depreciated to an extent that places a severe strain on his resources. Fortunately climatic conditions continue favourable, for the mild rains of the present week will prove of inestimable value to the country and stock will commence the winter in good heart. Latest cables from Smithfield indicate an improved demand for our mutton and lamb and prices were advanced accordingly. However, this rise had the effec: of checking speculative demand and, though consumption remains good, there are few grounds for anticipating any marked advance in prices. Similar remarks apply to the dairy division. Both butter and cheese have risen but values of both are still extremely low and the farmer of to-day will be wise to base next year's calculations on the quotations for the season now drawing to a close. At Westfield. At Westfield yesterday the entries were not quite so heavy and the sale was practically completed in daylight. There was an average yarding of ox beef and a heavy entry of cows and heifers. The demand was not keen and values eased about 1/ per 1001b. A big yarding of calves met a rather dull market except for prime quality which changed hands at about late rates. An average entry of fat sheep showed little change in quotations. Lambs, too, maintained recent values and although exporters -were present they only secured a small proportion of tlie offering. Pigs again sold well with baconers in special demand. The range of prices together with those ruling a wee kago was as follows: — This Week. Last Week. BEEF (per 1001b) — Extra choice ox . 25/ 20/ Choice and prime ox 21/ to 23/ 22/ to 24/ Choice & prime cow & heifer . 17/ to 24/ 19/ to 23/ Boner and rough S/6 to 16/ 8/6 to 17/ SHEEP (per head) — Prime wethers . 12/6 to 17/6 13/ to 18/ Unfin. wethers . 9/ to 12/ 8/ to 12/6 Prime ewes .... S/C to 13/3 9/ to 14./0 Unfin. ewes .... 4/ to 8/ 4/ to a/6 Prime lambs ... 9/6 to 16/6 9/ to 16/ Untin. lambs . . 4/ to 9/ 5/6 to 8/9 CALVES (per head) — Runners 45/ to 89/ 43/ to 80/ Vealers 13/ to 40/ 13/ to 10/ PIGS (per head) — Baconers 01/ to 77/ 30/ to 72/ Porkers 27/ to 48/ 27/ to 48/ Stores 7/ to 20/ 8/ to 25/

DALGETY AND COMPANY. Dalgety and Company, Ltd., reports on the weekly Westfield fat stock sale held yesterday as follows: — Beef.—The demand was not so keen as last week and late rates were not maintained. Extra choice ox sold to 25/ per 1001b; choice and prime, 22/ to 24/; secondary and plain, 19/ to 21/; prime young cow and hek'er beef, 22/ to 24/; ordinary cow .beef, 9/ to 21/; heavy prime steers, £8 10/ to £9 2/6; lighter, £7 10/ to £8 7/6; light, £6 15/ to £7 7/6; small and unfinished, £4 5/ to £5 10/; extra heavy prime young cows and heifers. £6 10/ to £7 7/6; heavy, £5 5/ to £6 7/6; lighter, £4 to £5 2/6; other killable cows, 35/ to £2 15/. Sheep.—Sheep sold steadily at values a shade low«r than last week. Extra heavy prime wethers, 16/3 to 17/3; heavy, 14/6 to 16/; medium, 12/6 to 14/3; light and unfinished, 11/6 to 12/3; heavy prime ewes, 12/; lighter, 10/3 to 10/9; other ewes, 9/6. Lambs. —Lambe again sold at full late rates. Heavy prime lamb, 14/3 to 15/; medium, 12/6 to 14/; light, 10/0 to 12/3. Calvts. —Well-finished, good quality calves sold at late rates, but plain cattle were in poor demand and hard to quit. Runners, £2 to £3 16/; heavy vealers, £2 to £2 6/; medium, £1 14/ to £1 19/; light, £1 6/ to £1 12/; rough, 10/ to £1 2/; small, 2/ to 9/. Pigs.—Last week's improvement was maintained. Choppers, £1 15/ to £2 12/; heavy baconers, £3 8/ to £3 14/; medium, £3 to £3 7/; light, £2 12/ to £2 19/; heavy porkers, £2 7/ to £2 10/; medium, £1 17/ to £2 6/; light, £1 14/ to £1 16/; small and unfinished, £1 4/ to £1 13/; stores, 17/ to £1 6/; slips, 15/ to 17/; weaners, 11/ to 14/.

ALFRED BUCKLAND AND SONS. Alfred Buckland and Sons, Limited, report on the weekly Westfield fat stock sale held yesterday as follows :— Beef.—Our Tat cattle totalled 430 head, as against 437 head last week, comprising 185 steers and 245 cows and heifers. The quality generally was first-class. Values were slightly easier. Extra choice ox sold to £15/ per 1001b; choice and prime, £1 2/ to £1 4/; secondary and plain, £1 to £1 1/; prime young cow and heifer, £12/ to £14/; ordinary cow, 10/ to £1 1/; extra heavy prime steers ranged in price from £11 5/ to £11 17/6; heavy prime 'steers, £9 10/ to £11; lighter, £8 to £9 7/6; light, £7 to £7 17/6; small and unfinished, £4 10/ to £6 17/6; extra heavy prime young cows and heifers, £6 10/ to £7 12/6; heavy prime cows and heifers, £5 5/ to £6 7/6; lighter, £4 to £5 2/6; other killable cows, £2 to £3 17/6. Sheep.—Values for sheep were similar to last week's (1346 sheep sold). Extra heavy prime wethers, 16/3 to 17/6; heavy, la/ to 16/; medium to heavy, 13/9 to 14/9; light to medium, 12/6 to 13/6; unfinished, 9/ to 12/; extra heavy prime young ewes, 12/ to 13/; heavy. 10/6 to 11/9; lighter, 8/6 to 10/3; other killable ewes, 7/ to 8/3; other ewes, 4/ to 6/9. Lambs.—Lambs penned to the number of 893 as compared with last Wednesday s total of 971. It was a free sale at ru ing values. Extra heavy prime lambs, 15/ to 10/6; heavy, 13/6 to 14/9; lighter, 12/ to 13/3; light, 10/ to 11/9; small and plain, 4/ to 9/6. , , Calves.—At the commencement ot the sale values were firm, but eased considerably toward the close. Runners made £2 to *£4 9/ for an extra heavy steer; heavy vealers. £2 1/ to £2 10/; medium.. £1 13/ to £1 18/; light, £1 6/ to £1 11/: small, 15/ to £12/; fresh dropped, 3/ to 8/; rough calves, 5/ to 10/ (208 calves were sold).

Pigs.—The demand was keen. Our quotations for bnconers show a further improvement. Choppers made £1 15/ to £.1 11/; heavy prime baconers. £3 12/ to £3 13/ : to e 2? l iJi/. £ ? 2/ t0 £ ? 8/; lieht - £2 ro ii/ I S /; heavy Porkers. £2 8/ to £2 11/; medium, £1 18/ to £2 4/; light,

£1 13/ to £1 10/; small and unfinished, I £ 1 4/ to £ 1 10/; best stores, £ 1 8/ to £ 1 i 15/; smaller, 18/' to £ 1 2/; slips, 14/ to ! 17/; weaners, 11/ to 13/ (a total of 552 pigs was sold). LOAN AND MERCANTILE. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, reports on the weekly Westlield fat stock sale held yesterday as follows: — Beef. —Although there was a steady demand values were inclined to be slightly easier. Extra choice ox sold to 25/ per lUOlb; choice and prime ox, 22/ to 24/; ordinary and plain ox, 19/ to 21/'; prime young cow and heifer beef, 20/ to 24/; ordinary cow beef, 14/ to 19/; heavy prime steers, £8 12/6 to £9 15/; lighter prime steers, £7 7/6 to £8 10/; light prime steers, £6 5/ to £7 5/; unfinished and small, £5 to £6 2/6; heavy prime young cows and heifers, £6 to £7; lighter, £5 to £5 15/; light cows, £4 to £4 15/; other cows, £2 to £3 15/, Sheep.—Values for prime quality improved. Other sorts were unchanged. Prime wethers, 12/ to 16/; unfinished and small, 9/ to 11/6; prime ewes, 9/ to 12/3; others, 6/6 to 8/9. Lambs.—Lambs sold- readily at late rates. Prime lambs, 9/6 to 16/3; small and unfinished, 6/6 to 9/3. Pigs.—Values were firm on last week's quotations. Choppers sold from £2 to £4 1/; heavy and medium baconers, £3 10/ to £3 15/; light baconers and heavy porkers, £3 to £3 8/; medium and li.-r- t porkers, £2 7/ to £2 15/; small and unfinished porkers, £1 10/ to £2 5/. Store pigs sold at late quotations. Large stores, £1 to £16/; slips, 12/ to 18/; weaners, 7/ to 15/. Calves. —Values for good quality calves were firm, but plain calves were easier. Runners, £2 10/ to £4; heavy vealers, £2 10/ to £3; medium, £2 to £2 8/; light, £1 10/ to £1 18/; smaller, £1 to £18/; small and fresh dropped, 5/ to 18/; rough calves, 5/ to 15/. THE ADDINGTON MARKET. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Wednesday. Entries at the Addingfon stock market to-day were not as heavy as at recent markets and generally the sales were keen. The principal features were the keen sale for fat lambs, a better tone in the 'beef market and advance in values for light ewes in the fat sheep section. Store Sheep.—A steady sale, with betcer class wethers and ewes showing improvement in values. Extra good ewe lambs made up to 14/; good, 10/ to 12/4; good wether lambs, to 10/; good mixed sex lambs, 10/6 to 12/5;- backward, 4/ to 5/; good two-tooth halfbred wethers, to 13/; good four and six-tooth halfbred wethers. 10/ to 12/; good two-tooth three-quarter-bred wethers, 12/ to 13/4; backward wethers, 5/ to 7/; ordinary two-tooth halfbred ewes, to 12/6; ordinary six and eight-tooth halfbred ewes, to 9/6; good four-year crossbred ewes, to 11/4.

Fat Lambs—An entry of 2100 head met wiMi a very keen sale. Export buyers operated freely and the schedule price of iiVid per lb was exceeded by Vid in the case of some lines. Extra prime lambs ina<l o up to 22/1: prime, ln'6 to 10.'; medium. 16/ to 17/3; light. 12/6 to 15/3. Fat Sheep.—The entry was 5100 head. Light ewes recorded an advance in price of 1/6 to 2/ a head, but heavier sorts showed little alteration in values. Extra prime wethers reached 19/10: prime, 14.' to 16,6: medium, 11/6 to 13/9; light, S. 6 to 11/; extra prime ewes, to 14/9: prime. 11'6 to 13,; medium, 10/ to 11/6; light; 8/6 to 9, 9. Fat Cattle.—The entry of 254 head was the smallest yarded tor many weeks ar.d the market responded a little to the shortness of supply. Best beef advanced about £1 a head, but there was little alteration in values for plain and unattractive types. Beet beef made 29/ :o 33 6 per 1001b; good prime beef. 24/ to 27/6; ordinary beef, to 23/; good heittr beet, to 2a , ; pood cow beef, to 22/; ordmarv, 15/ to 18/. Fat Pifte.— There was a smaller entry than for some weeks and there was a firm and steady demand, with a slight increase in values. Choppers made £2 10/ to £6 11/; baconers. 47/6 to 57/6; heavy baconers. £3 to £3 15/6 (average price per lb, 4%d to Slid); porkers, 35/ to 40/; heavy porkers, 41/ to 46/6 (average price per lb, 6d to 7%d).

IN THE WAIKATO. (From Our Own Correspondent.) * HAMILTON, Wednesday. After a long spell of dry weather a vei y Welcome rain has eet in. The country generally is in need of a good soaking, and if the mild weather continues there will t>e good growth in any pastures that have been topdressed. The chief event of the week has been the opening o£ the dairy heifer sales. Two sales have so far taken place, and it must be admitted have not been ae buoyant as a good many farmers would expect. The top price heifers reached about £3, with many good quality heifers selling round about £7. These prices are considerably lower fchaa most vendors have been asking in the paddock, and it would appear that vendors will have to rearrange their reserves if much business is going to take place by way of private treaty. A full yarding of both beef and mutton came forward to Frankton this week, and in both instances the prices were slightly easier. Forward conditioned store cattle are being sought after, with not much inquiry for young stock. Weaner Jersey heifers have shown a slight improvement, and more are corning on to the market. Conditions are as follows: — Beef.—Good yardings of all classes or beef are coming forward, and at Frankton thw week some especially good cows and heifers were yarded. Competition for ox and good cow beef was not so keen, while second quality and inferior cows sold at late quotations. Beet ox beet" has been making up to 20/ per 1001b; medium quality, 18/ to 19/; choice young cow and heifer, 16/ to 18/; medium cow, 12/ to 14/; boners. 8/ to »;. Fat Sheep.—Large entries of fat sheeD are etill coming forward, and in cases these include a number of plain and unfinished. The market all round is showing an easing tendenf- with a good supply, especially of wethere, available for quotation. Fat lambs, which are mostly finding their way through the yards, have shown a slight advance in keeping with the %d a Jb advance in export prices. Prime fat wethers have been making from 14/ to 15/; medium, 12/ to 13/; extra prime fat ewes, up to 10/6; medium, 7/ to 8/; heavy fat lambs, 13/ to 15/; medium, 10/ to 12/. Store Cattle. —The demand for store cattle centres -chiefly round forward conditioned steere or young cows. Cattle in store condition are not sought after and the demand for young cattle is weak. Xo>v that a standard of value has been set for springing heifers 'better business will no doubt result. The majority of vendors who are holding good quality dairy heifers will no doubt have to change their quotations or in some cases they will probably hold in the hope of getting better money later on. Four-year-old bullocks have been making from £4 10/ to £5 10/; 2%-year-old steers £3 10/ to £4; I 18-month steers, £2 10/ to £3 5.'; empty cows, £2 to £3; beet quality Jersey heifers, In calf, £7-to £8; good medium Jersey heifers, £6 to £7; backward, £4 to £5; weaner Jersey heifer calves, £2 10/ to £3; medium, £2 to £2 10/; mixed coloured calves, 10/ to £1. Store Sheep.—This section still remains quiet, and with the drop in the price of fat sheep very little business is being done Ewes in lamb are only coming forward in small lots, but a few bigger lines are changing hands by way or private treaty Medium store wethers are making from 8/ to 9/; shorn lambe, from 6 to 6,6; woolly lambs, from 6/ to Iβ; 2tooth ewee, 10/ to 11/6; 4, 6 and 4-year-old ewes from 7/6 to 8/6; 5-year-fld ew«, froji 5/6 to 6/6. . . , . pjfrs—The improvement in this market has "been fully maintained, and at most sales a further advance is registered. Ihe top price for heavy baconers at FnnktoQ this week reached £3 12/, which is fully 20/ per head increase on prices rea we 4 1a ' few weeks ago. Stores are selling equally well in proportion. Best heavy baconers have been making trom X 6 .o £3 12/; heavy porkers, 45 to 50. : stores, 28/ to 35/; slips, 15/ to 25/; weaners, i, to 14;'.