LIVE STOCK MARKETS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 190, 14 August 1933, Page 4

LIVE STOCK MARKETS.

TARANAKI VALUES. STORE CATTLE SELL WELL. KEEN DEMAND FOR SHEEP. (From Our Own Correspondent.) NEW PLYMOUTH, Saturday. T.ho outstanding event in the Taranaki stock market in the past week was the saie of SOJ head of station cattle on behalf of the Battley Estate at Awakino. The considerably improved prices realised were, in part, a reflex of the shortage of store cattle' in the province, and, ill addition, an indication of some general improvement in the market for beef cattle. Taranaki is 1 experiencing exceptionally good early ! spring weather, and high percentages of iambs arc indicated, ihe rising market for dairy produce is also having a stimulating effect on the live stock market. The slight decline of the past week or two in the lamb market has been arrested and a more steady tone prevails. A very keen inquiry exists for all classes of fat sheep and quotes arc difficult to procure. The sale has been made of numerous ■ trucks of heavy prime wethers at 25/, with ! several trucks of light sheep at 22/. Sales of fat ewes have been effected in truck lots at from IS/ to 21/. Fat hoggets are difficult to procure and wherever yarded meet with ready competition. All classes of store sheep are keenly sought after, but here again quotes are difficult to procure. Iri-lamb ewes have been keenly sought after and sales during the week include a line of 200 six-tooth ewes at 22/. Ewe hoggets are in demand, their value ranging from 17/ to 19/, with wether hoggets from 11/0 to 13/. All classes of fat cattle are now commanding attention. The sale of a line of 100 prime heavy Polled Angus and Hereford cows was made at £5 5/, with ntimer- * •<< trucks of prime heavy cows at from £5 to £5 5/. Sales of lighter sorts have been effected in truck lots at from £4 to £4 12/0. A very keen inquiry exists for all classes of store cattle, but again difficulty is being experienced in obtaining quotes. Good in-calf Polled Angus and Hereford I cows command attention at up to £4 10/, with forward cows realising at from £3 5/ to £3 15/. With the large entries of dairy stock at all yard sales most farmers wanting stock prefer to attend the sales, with the result that business in the paddock has fallen oil' over the last week. Only heifers close to profit command attention. Best quality realise from £0 to £7, others from £5 to £5 10/, and more backward sorts from £4 to £5. Although the demand for yearling heifers has abated somewhat, good quality cattle still command attention, and sales have been effected at up to £3 15/, with others at from £3 to £3 5/. At the Hawcra horse fair an exceptionally large entry of all classes of horses met with very ready competition from a large attendance of buyers, unbroken horses especially being in demand. Unbroken fillies realised £33 10/ to £35, unbroken geldings £11, £18 to £22 10/, geldings broken to all work £30, £37 to £41 10/, and ponies £4, £4 5/ to £8. The Awakino sale of station cattle was the best in the province for gome years, a total clearance being made of the • 800 head. Prime fat cows made £4 9/; store bullocks, £4 to £4 18/; three-year steers, £3 18/; Polled Angus breeding cows, £4 0/ to £4 10/; Hereford breeding cows, £3 . 15/; aged and light-conditioned Hereford breeding cows, £2 0/ to £2 12/0; empty Hereford and Polled Angus cows in good store condition, £2 10/ to £2 19/; twoyear Hereford heifers in forward condition, £3 10/; two-vear Polled Angus heifers, £2 17/ to £3 4/6: two-year Tolled Angus steers, £3 14/; two-year Hereford steers! £3 15/: two-year Hereford heifers. £2 11/; yearling Polled Angus steers. £2 10/; yearling Hereford steers. £2. Mixedsex Polled Angus and Hereford yearlings, light-conditioned and mail, £1 8/; yearling Polled Angus heifer's; £2 3/: yearling Hereford heifers, £2 2/; Tolled Angus bulls, £4 4/: Hereford bulls, £3 3/.