LIVE STOCK MARKET

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 35, 11 February 1937, Page 16

LIVE STOCK MARKET

EXPORT TREND STEADY " I BUTTER VALUES LOW. | THE GOVERNMENT GUARANTEE " ' Since last review the trend of export I values has not changed. The London butter market is still sluggish and values of Xew Zealand are as low as 86/ to 88/ .per cwt. This decline in export values would, under ordinary circumstances, be reflected in the Dominion's live stock markets, but. as the Government has guaranteed a lixed price to the farmer, his concern is materially lessened.

The difference between to-day's export values and the guaranteed price is approximately 2Y*d per lb, and unless the market makes a substantial improvement the Government will be faced with a substantial debit at the close of the production year.

I The wool market continues very satisfactory and despite a reactionary note from Bradford the Dominion clip is finding a ready market with prices well up to those established early in the' season. Smithfield reports are encouraging, with a good demand for all classes of meat. Weather conditions during -the past week have been ideal from the farmers' point of view, and the season is progressing remarkably well. Of conditions in the country aur Waikato correspondent writes: — Aged Ewes Cheaper. As predicted in our last week's report there has been during this week a decided easing in values in the case of aged breeding ewes. Owing to what was then considered a high ruling value for sheep, farmers last year carried through many lines of aged ewes which would, under ordinary circumstances, have been sent to the freezing works. These sheep will have to go out this year, and a number of farmers were in the hope that they would make better than export values. However, there are distinct indications that as a breeding proposition these ewes are not wanted, and farmers will have to rely on the exporters' competition. All classes of young sheep, however, are in keen demand and realised values quite equal to opening sales. There still appears to be a large quantity of sheep to be offered in the Waikato. so that those farmers who predicted a rise may find they are able to till all their requirements at probably less than they expected. Larger numbers of store lambs are still coming forward, and in spite of the recent rise in the schedule for fat lambs prices in the store section have, if anything, shown an easing tendency.

In the cattle section very little business has been done with other than boner cows, for which exporters are operating very freely at .prices well in advance of schedule rates. Beef still maintained its value at Frankton on Tuesday last, larger quantities of cow beef were penned and competition was hardly so keen. A large volume of business is being transacted in the pig sections, but values for fat pigs at Frankton showed a drop of 3/ to 4/ per head. Lighter baconers and porkers were not, however, affected by Tuesday's drop; stores and weaners maintained late values. This Week. Last Week. BEEF (per 1001b) — Extra choice ox . 34/ 34/ Choice and prime ox 30/ to 33/ 30/ to 33/ Choice and prime cow and heifer 27/ to 31/ 28/ to 31/ Boner and rough 18/ to 26/ 18/ to 27/ SHEEP (per head) — Prime wethers . 24/0 to 30/ C 24/6 to 30/G Unfln. wethers . 20/ to 24 / 20/ to 24/ Prime ewes ... 17/ to 22/6 18/ to 24/ I'lifln. ewes .. .">/ to 17/ 5/ to 17/ Prime lambs .. 20/ to 31/ 21/ to 31/6 Unfln. lambs .. 10/ to 19/0 10/6 to 20/0 CALVES (per head)— Runners 55/ to 127/6 50/ to 140/ Vealers 6/ to 107/ 6/ to 104/ PIGS (per head) — Baconers 60/ to 75/ 60/ to 77/ Porkers 28/ to 54/ 30/ to 56/ Wenners 6/ to 16/ 6/ to 15/ Slips 12/ to 20/ VZ/ to 22/ Large stores . . 22/ to 28/ 24/ to 28/

ALFRED BUCKLAND AND SONS.

Alfred Buckland and Sons, Limited, report:—

Beef.—Our total yirding of beef numbered 374 head, as against 415 head last week, comprising 92 steers and 282 cows and heifers. The ox beef pens were well filled with good quality cattle. Although our quotations are the same as last week, values were inclined to ease slightly. Good quality cows and heifers were firm at late rates, while medium and inferior eased by about 10/ a head on late sales. Extra choice ox sold to £1 14/ per 1001b; choice and prime ox, £1 10/ to £1 12/; secondary and plain ox, £1 7/ to £1 9/; prime young cow and heifer beef, £19/ to £1 11/; ordinary cow beef, 18/ to £ 1 5/. No extra heavy prime steers were yarded. Heavy prime steers ranged in price from £12 to £12 15/; lighter prime steers, £11 to £11 12/6; light prime steers, £10 to £10 15/; small and unfinished steers, £6 to £8 15/; extra heavy prime young cows and heifers, £9 to £9 15/; heavy prime cows and .heifers, £7 5/ to £8; lighter prime cows and heTfers. £5 to £6; other killable cows, £3 5/ to £4.

Sheep.—Sheep were penned to the number of 1515. Competition for both wethers and ewes was again keen, with values remaining firm at late rates. Extra heavy

prime wethers, £1 9/ to £1 10/; heavy prime wethers, £1 7/ to £1 8/; medium to heavy prime wethers, £1 6/ to £1 6/9; light to medium prime wethers, £1 4/9 to £1 5/6; unfinished wethers, £1 to £1 3/6; extra heavy prime young ewes, £1 i/ to £12/; heavy prime ewes, £1 to £1 0/9; lighter prime ewes, 18/6 to 19/6; other killable ewes, 17/ to 18/; other ewes, 5/ to 15/.

Lambs.—Our total yarding of lambs numbered 669 and again sold freely at fully late rates. Extra heavy prime lambs, £1 t! to £1 8.6; heavy prime lambs, £1 5/6 to £1 6/6; lighter prime lambs. £1 3/6 to £1 4/6; light prime lambs, £1 2/ to £1 3/small and plain lambs, 10/6 to 19/6. Calves.—There was a large yarding of calves, which sold under slack competition at lower rates. The late sale entries were particularly hard to quit. Runners made £3 to £6 7/6; heavy vealers. £4 to £4 12/; medium. £3 12/ to £3 18.'; light. £2 11/ „ t ?. £2 17 /: smaller, £1 18/ to £2 «/• unfinished and bucket-fed, £1 1/ to £1 14/; bobby and rough calves, 6/ to 18/310 calv-es were sold. '

ci^'f 8 ' l! ie p ' g P 6llß wel *e again well tilled. rheie was a steady sale for all classes at values fully equal to those ruling „ w „ ee ' c 8 sale - Choppers made £1 : ~o , ' " eavv Prime baconers, £3 12/ I°/. £3 6/ to £3 10/; light. to 3/; heavy porkers, £2 11/ to £2 14/; medium, £2 5/ to £2 8/; light £1 I f?, an <l unfinished, £1 8/ 14/ £l' Bt ° re8 ' £ 1, 3/ t0 £1 7/ : 8li P«' ! weaners > V. t® 13/. Baconers and porkers averaged 6d per lb. A total of 711 pigs was sold.

DALGETY AND COMPANY. Dalgety and Company, Ltd., report: ? eef ~ W ? offered 200 head of beef, computing 19 eteere and 181 cows and heifers against 235 head last week. The quality was again first class, and selling under a steady demand we have to report values for ox beef on a par with la*t week, while the demand for a heavy yarding of cows «a« not so keen, and values in this section Were ,™,u er - u Extra choice ox 6°' d to 34/ per 1001b: choice and prime ox, 31/ to 33/; just killable, 28/ to 30/; prime young er eef - 31/ to 33/; just killable, 20/ to 30/. Heavy prime steers ranged in price from £12 to £12 76* Jitfhter prime eteere, £11 to £11 15/- light pnme steers. £10 to £10 17/6; small and unfinished steers, £6 to £9 5/; extra r ea^ P J ime > . OI,nK ro "' s and heifers, £9 t or P r, m« heifers, gold on account of Mr. J. A. Hill, of Hoe-o-tainui; heavv pnme cows and heifers, £7 10/ to £8 15/nghter,pnme cows and heifers, £6 to £7 i o/: light, £4 10' to £5 15/; other killable cowe, £2 10/ to £4 5/.

Sheep.—A moderate yarding of sheep was penned, and sold under steady competition at rates on a par with last sale on i vy P ,lme wethei*. £1 93t0 £1 »9: heavy prime. £1 8/ to £1 »/• medium, £1 6 6 to £1 7/6; light and unfinished. £1. 4/6 *° ®/ : heavy prime ewe-, £1 0/6 to £1 1/6: lwhterf 10/ to i 0 : other ewes. 17/6 to 18/6. Lambs—Lambs were offered in average numbers, and sold readily at prices fnllv equal to last week's quotation*. Kxtra heavy lambs. 26' to 31/; heavv. 24' to 22/ to 23/6: light. 20/ to r*\ srna '' an< l plain, 17 6 to 19 6 nennZt*'r~ A - Vardi "* ° f ca,ve « penned. Competition for medium to heavv itvJ 8 not "° keen - ant l values eased Lighter prime vealers sold at vain* about on a par with late rates. We did not offer any heavy prime runners. Heavv « 4 / 4 ,-, to 14 £3 £2t„f' : ' K r £2 , h Y to £3 = smaller. 1/ 7 „ : ~nfin" "hed and bucket-fed 6' to £I°3/ /; b ° bby rough calve *> heAVV yarding of fat pigH met with steady competition, and sold at values £3 m il/ to fTn/" rate T Heavy bacon(''R£3 13/; medium. £3 6/ to £3 £2* 11/ to £■> 14°/ £3 a- ' heaVV porker *- „/ V'. t0 *■' »*'. medium. £2 6/ to £2 fi to .£2 4/; small and unfinished, £1 10/ to £1 15/. LOAN AND MERCANTILE. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agencj Company. Limited, reports: » ®, eef^7 We a * ain ha <l a large yarding of liffi There "' fts a Btead > demand, with little or no alteration in values for most sorts, tow beef was easier in value. Extra choice ox sold to £1 14/ per 1001b; choice and prime ox £1 10/ to £1 13/; ordinary and Plain ox, £1 6/ to £1 9/; prime young cow and heifer beef, £ 1 to £ 1 6/. No extra heavy prime steers were penned. Heavv prime steers, £12 5/ to £13 2/6; lighter prime steers, £11 to £12 2/fl; light prime * 10 17/6: P )ain a '>d small, to *«/» extra heavy prime young cows and heifers. £9 to £11; heavy prime young cows , and heifers. £7 10/ to £8 17/6; lighter, £6 to £7 7/6; light. £4 15/ J?® aged and plain finished cows, £3 to £4 10/.

Sheep—We had a large entry of sheep. I here was ready competition, with values on a par with last week's sale. Heavy prime wethers. £1 9/9 to £1 10/6; medium prime wethers, £1 8/ to £1 9'6- light prime wethers, £1 5/ to £1 7/6; small and unfinished wethers, £1 ]/ to £1 4 9; heavy prime ewes, £11/ to £1 2'6medium prime ewes, 19/9 to £1 0 9; light prime ewes, 18/ to 19/6; inferiorly-fatted ewes, B/ upward. Lambs.—Lambs in average numbers sold under a keen demand at late rates. Extra heavy prime. £1 8/6 to £1 10/6; heavy, £16/ to £18/; medium, £ 1 4/ to £1 5/9; light, £1 1/ to £1 3/9; small and unfinished, 10/ upward. Pigs. We had a good average yarding of pigs. There was a general easing of values for all classes. Choppers sold from £2 to £3 4/: heavy and medium baconers, from £3 8/ to £3 14/; light baconers and heavy porkers, from £2 10/ to £3 6/; medium

porkers and light from £2 to £2 7/; small and unfinished, £1 8/ to £1 18/. Store pigs sold at late rates. Large stores, £1 2/ to £ 1 8/; slips, 12/ to 19/; weaners, 6/ to 16/.

Calves.—There was a larger entry of calves. The market wag inclined to be easier, especially for plain calves. Good quality veal era were on a par for value with last week's quotations. Runners, £2 15/ to £6; heavy vealers, £4 17/ to £5 7/; medium, £4 to £4 15/; light, £3 6/ to £3 16/; smaller, £2 10/ to £3 3/; small, £1 10/ to £26/; rough calves, 15/ to £1 10/; fresh dropped, 8/ to 16/.