THE EWE MARKET

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21717, 26 February 1936, Page 7

THE EWE MARKET

Keen interest centres around the Canterbury ewe fairs, which commence at Amberley next Monday. It is generally accepted that there will be a scarcity of Canterbury ewes to meet the requirements of lamb breeders,»and the main speculation of the latter is the source ot outside supplies. At the moment it would appear that these will be restricted. The North Island is now little more than a closed book as far as regular imports are concerned, and in. any case prices m the north leave very little margin for the. speculator. At the Feilding sale last week Romney two-tooth ewes sold at up to 38s 7d, and aged slightly more than 255. At the Winton sale two tooths sold to 345, four and six tooth to 295, and sound mouthed from 22s to 255. In Central Otago the market for halfbred ewes is stronger than the Winton prices for strong wools. At Addington last week a very fair quality line of Corriedale two-tooths sold at 36s 6d, and Romney cross twotooths at 32s 6d. These figures imply that when the best of the twotooths is offered at the fairs the 40s mark will be exceeded. No standard lines of cast ewes have come forward at the weekly market, and there is consequently no line on which to estimate the value of station lines of four-year-olds. However, it is known that up to 28s has been paid, and it is therefore probable that the 30s mark will be reached. At the Amberley fair last year top price for Corriedale twotooths was 35s 9d, for halfbred 32s 6d, and for four-year 27s 9d. The wool market was then very stagnant, in face of which the market for all classes of ewes was considered exceptionally good—quite 2s to 2s 6d a head better than was anticipated.