LIVE STOCK MARKET.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 75, 30 March 1939, Page 8

LIVE STOCK MARKET.

DRY WEATHER PERSISTS. PRODUCTION FALLING OFF. CONCERN" FOR WINTER FEED. The continued spell of dry weather is still the dominant factor in the live stock markets. Farmers .with stock fit to kill are anxious to rush them to the freezing works before their condition suffers and j others, who had thoughts of replenish- j nients, are dubious about adding to flocks or herds while the feed position remains uncertain. Of conditions in the country our Waikato correspondent writes: — In spite of many days of threatening weather no -appreciable downpour has eventuated and in all parts of the district, pastures are extremely dry. although generally speaking Waikato is better off for feed than most other outside districts. However, the dairy farmer is beginning to find his milk quickly falling off and those lucky enough to have maize and turnips are busy feeding out, whilst a large number also has commenced feeding out ensilage. It is now getting fairly late in the season and most farmers are concerned in case cold weather follows the rain, thereby making it impossible for the grass to get away, resulting in no surplus with which to start the winter.

During the week there has been little or no change in-the markets. Adequate supplies of ox beef appear to be held, although cow and heifer beef is not so plentiful, but despite this fact values during the week have shown no improvement. A large number of graziers is still loaded up with chillers ready to go to the works, but unfortunately owing to the lack of shipping space these cannot be handled. Local butchers have no difficulty in filling requirements at the various sales. The dry weather has undoubtedly affected the atore cattle section, but during the past week no station-bred lines have been offered. However, another special sale is scheduled to take place" at Mot-rinsviile at the beginning of next week and unless a good downpour of rain is experienced in the meantime, it looks as though cattle at this saie will be good

buying. Fat sheep, if anything, showed a slight improvement at Krankton on r I uesday, this being more noticeable in the ewe section than with wether mutton, although prime quality wethers reflected an advance over unfinished sheep.

Better Demand at Westfield. There was a general improvement in the demand for fat stock on the Westfield ■market yesterday, and prices for beef and mutton showed a firming tendency. An average yarding of sheep came forward. wethers selling nt firm late rates, while ewes improved in some cases bv as much as 1' to 2/ a head. A_smaller yarding of <iilves sold at better prices than last week's, and nigs, which were in good supply, sold at full late rates. Following is the range of prices, together with last week's:— „ This "Week. Last Week.

LOAN AND MERCANTILE. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Ltd., report:—, / Beef.—At the WestfieW fat stock market our yarding of beef wu about an average one. Competition was again keen, with values for all classes firm at late quotations. Extra choice ox sold to £ 1 15/ per 1001b; choice and prime, £1 10' to £1 14/; ordinary and plain. £1 5/ to £ I !)'; prime young cow and heifer beef. £1 7/ to £1 10/; ordinary. £1 to £1 6/. Heavy prime steers sold at £12 12/6 to £13 .V; lighter. £11 to £12 10/; light. £9 2 6 to £10 17/6: plain and small, £7 to £9 extra heavy prime young cows and heifers. £8 10/ to £9 ;>/: heavy. £7 I.V to £8 7,0; lighter. £6 15/ to £7 12/6: light. £ii to £6 12/6: aged and plain finished cows, £3 to £4 17/6. Sheep.—More than an average yarding of sheep met a ready demand, with values very firm for prime wetheis and improving 1/ to 2/ for prime ewes. Plain and unfinished sheep were hard to quit. Heavy prime wethers sold at £1 2/6 to £1 3 0; medium, £1 to £1 2/3; light. 18/ to 10 9: smaller. 15/ to 17/0: small and unfinished. 8/ to 14/6; extra heavy prime ewes, I.V to 17/: heavy. 13/ to 14'9: mednm. 11'6 to 12/9; light. 10/ to 11/3; just killahle, 7/ to 9/9; interiorly fatted, 2/6 to 6/9. Lambs.—Lambs in average nuinlters sold to a steady demand at late quotations. Extra heavy prime realised £1 4/ to £1 5/; heavy. £1 2/ to £1 3/6; medium, £1 to £1 1/9; light, 17/6 te 19/9: smaller. 14/ to 17/3; unfinished, beßt, 8/ to 11/6; others, 6/ to 7/9. Pigs.—Pips came forward in average numbers. Porker values remained firm at late rates, while values for baconers firmed. Heavy and medium baeonetw brought £3 10/ to £3 16/: light bacon ens and heavy porketw, from £2 16/ to £3 8/; medium porkens and light porkers, from £2 2/ to £2 14/: small, £1 8/ to £2. Store pigs sold at late rates. Large stores, £1 1/ to £1 7/; slips, 9/ to £1; weaners, 4/ to 12/. Calves.—Calves were penned in loss than average numbers, making for a firmer demand. Values advanced 011 last week's rates. Runners made £2 10/ to £5 18/; 1 heavy vealers. £3 10/ to £4 4/; medium, £3 to £3 8/: light. £2 8/ to £2 *18/; 1 smaller, £1 10/ to £1 19/; small. £1 to £1 ft/; rough calves. 10/ to £1 .V: freshdropped to three-weeks-old, 7/ to 19/.

DALGETY AND COMPANY. Dalgety and Company, Limited, report: Beef.—At our weekly Westfield fat stocf; market our offering of beef totalled 1 :t8 head, comprising 17 steers and 121 cows and heifers, against 76 head last week. The quality was first class, and, selling under a keen demand, last week's values ruled very firm. We did not yard any heavy-weight steers. Extra choice ox sold to 35/ per 1001b; choice and prime, 32/ to 34/; just killable. 28/ to 31/: prime young cow and heifer beef, 27/ to 30/; just killable, 20/ to 26/. Light prime steers made £10 15/ to £11 10/; email and unfinished, £6 17/6 to £10 10/; extra heavy priijie young cows and heifers, £0 to £9 V; heavy, £8 to £8 15/; lighter, £6 15/ to £7 15/; light cows, £5 to- £6 10/; other killable cows, £3 10/ to £4 15/. Sheep.—We had. .a full yarding of sheep of excellent quality. Competition was steady, and last week's rates were ipiproved on. for both; wethers and ewes. Extra heavy prime realised £1 3/3 to £1 3/9; heavy prime, £1 2/ to £1 3/; medium, £1 0/6 to £1 1/6; light and unfinished, 15/9 to £1; heavy prime ewes, 14/ to 17/9; lighter, 12/6 to 13/6; other ewes, 9/9 to 12/. •Lambs.—An average entry of lambs sol'd under keen competition at advanced rates. Heavy prime lamb made £1 1/ to £1 2/9; medium, 19/ to £1 0/6; lighter, 14/3 to 18/6. Calves.—Calves were yarded in smaller numbers than last week. The quality generally was up to standard. Competition keen, and the smaller yarding resulted in a decided improvement in values on week's quotations. Runners realised £4 to £6; heavy vealeri, £3 14/ to £4 </;

medium, £3 to £3 12/; light, £2 6/ to £2 18/; smaller, £1 15/ to £2 4/; smaill, £1 6/ to £1 13/: unfinished .bucket-fed, 18/" to £1 2/: bobby calves, 5/ to 14/. Pigs.—Pigs came forward, in good average numbers. Competition was keen, and a steady sale reunited in values for bacon improving slightly, with values for poj-k remaining firm on late sales. Heavy baooners brought £3 11/ £3 16/; medium, £3 7/ to £3 10/; light, £2.13/ to £3 5/; heavy porkers, £2 9/ to £2 13/; medium, £2 2/ to £2 6/; light, £1 15/ to £2; store pigs, £1 to £1 6/; slips, 11/ to 14/; weaners, 6/ to 10/. ALFRED BUCKLAND AND SONS. Alfred Buckland and Sons, Ltd., report:— Beef.—At our weekly Westficld fat stock market we penned fat cattle to tdie number of 274 head, as against 205 'hea<L last week, comprising 79 steers and 19.) cows and heifers. Our ox beef pens were well filled, and the quality generally was good. Competition was steady, and values were linn at last week's quotations. A larger offering of cows and heifers also sold at fully late rates. Extra choice ox sold to £1 15/ Tier lOOlb; choice and prime, £1 12/ to £1 14/; secondary and plain, £1 iX/ to £1 11/; prime young cow and heifer beef. £1 7/ to £1 10/; ordinary cow beef, £1 to £1 3/. Extra heavy prime steers ranged in price from £13 5/ to £14; heavv. £12 15/ to £13; lighter. £12 to £12 10/; light. £10 10/ to £11 10/; small and unfinished, £6 to £10; extra heavy prime voung cows and heifers. £9 to £10 10/; heavy, £7 5/ to £8; lighter, £5 10/ to £6 10/; other killable cows. £4 to £5. Sheep.—S'lieep were penned to the number of 736. Bidding was keen throughout, and prices showed improvement on late sales. Heavy prime wethers realised £12/ to £1 3/; medium to heavy. £ 1 to £1 1/; light to medium, 18/ to 19/; un-finis-lied, 15/ to 17/; extra heavy prime voung ewes, 13/6 to 14/0; heavy, 11/6 to 12/9; lighter. 10/6 to 11/; other killable ewes, 8/ to 9/6; other ewes, 1/ to 6/6.

I Lambs.—Land's wore yarded to the number of 041, and sold at late quotations. Extra heavy prime lambs sold at £1 3/ to £1 4/; heavy, £l 1/ to £1 *2/; lighter, 18 (i to £1; light. 16/ to 17/; small and plain. 6/ to 14/0. Calves! We had a smaller offering of calves. Bidding was very steady, and values for nil good quality runners and vealers showed an improvement on last week's quotations. Plain and unfinished i calves sold at late rates. Extra Heavy prime limners realised £6 to £7 15/ for a well-finished steer sold on account of Mr. George Thompson. Pakuranua; plain and unfinished runnels. £4 to £5 2/; heavy prime vealers. £3 15/ to £4 8/: medium, £3 2/ to £3 11/; light. £2 5/ to £2 18'; smaller, £1 8/ to £1 18'. Small vealers. 15/ to £1 2/; .unfinished ami bucket-fed, 12/ to £1 1/;, bobby calves. 3/ to 14/. A total of 15(5 calves was sold. Pige.—There was a large entry of pigs. All prime baeonem and porkers sold readily at late quotations, but bidding was very slack for small and unfinished porkers •and values for these were lower. Store pigs realised late rates, but weaners were very hard to sell. Choppers made £1 1/ ifco £3 9/; heavy prime baconers. £3 11/ to £3 16/; medium. £3 7/ to £3 9/; light. £2 16/ to £3 5/: heafv porkers. £2 10/ to £2 15/J medium. £2 2/ to £2 7/'; light, £1 15/ to £2; unfinished and small, £1 to £ 1 12/; large stores, £ 1 4/ to £1 10 ': other stores. 18/ to £1 2/: l>est slips, 12' to Hi/: suckers and weaners. 3/ to 10/. Baconers sold from (>d to 614 d per lb, and porkers 5%d to OVAd per lb. A total of 1030 pigs was sold.

REEF (per 10o;i>) — Extra eholre ox 35/ 35/ Choice and prime ox- 31/ to 34/ 31/ to 34/ Choice ami prime row ami heifer 28/ to 31/ 27/ to 30/ Boner and rough 20/ to 26/ 20/ to 26/ SHEEP (per head) — Prime wethers . 18/ to 23/9 17/ to 23/3 rutin, wethers. 8/ to 17/9 15/ to Iff/* Prime ewes .. 10/ to 17/ 8/ to 14 At Entiii. ewes . . 2/6 to 9/9 3/ to 8*9 I'rime Iambs . 14/ to 25/ 18/ to 25/ l.'ntin. lambs . 6/ toll/6 6/ to 17/9 CALVES (per head) — Runners 80/ to 155/ 50/ to 130/ Vealers 2/ to 88/ 2/ to 82/ PIGS (per head) — Baconers 56/ to 76/ 58/ to 74/ Porkers 35/ to 55/ 35/ to 54/ Weaners 3/ to 12/. 4/ : to 1^7 Slips 9/ to 20/ 9/ to 16/ Large stores .. 18/ to 30/ 18/ to 28/