ADDINGTON MARKET

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22081, 1 May 1937, Page 10

ADDINGTON MARKET

THE DEMAND FOR FAT SHEEP

LAMBS IN SHORT SUPPLY The fat sheep market continues to be particularly keen, another very heavy entry of 6500 on Wednesday meeting with a strong and actually improving demand. As pointed out previously, mutton is far from dear when the value of the sheepskin is deducted but the arresting fact is the number of sheep that the market is capable of absorbing. In three weeks tne total entry has been just on 20,000 head. On Wednesday the overflow had to be accommodated in the fat lamb and store sheep pens. The export trade is very brisk and the price of ewes improved on Wednesday, being something in advance of the schedule. There possibly are domestic reasons within the trade itself for the strong competition, but the mam point is that the farmer is benefiting. The good price for sheep doubtless is the main cause of the heavy entries coming forward, but a degree of it may be due to the uncertain winter fattening conditions and tp make room for the additional ewes that a number of farmers have bought. The heavy pennings must naturally have an effect on the availability of sheep for the winter market, ■particularly as the turnip crop does appear to be up to.normal in any district. As against this deduction there is a strong mand from graziers for the lighter sheep. Should the."fearsome" price for wool, which was referred to in a London cablegram the other day, decline to any great extent, there will be some money lost in the Dominion, but wool, fortunately, is outside, the frivolities of the Stock Exchange, which at the moment is in a chaotic state in London. Nevertheless, many observers are a little perturbed at the rapidity of the wool advance. The prices of store wethers at the moment are based on the retention of current wool values. On the value of skins it cannot be said that the prices are unduly out of the way. It is worth noting that the export schedule in 1932-33 at this time of the year provided for 3d per lb for up to 481 b wethers, from 2Jd (for 49-56's) down to lid for over 72's and 2Jd for seconds. The ewe schedules make even more dismal history. Up to 48's were Ud, 49 to 56's Id, to 64's also Id, to 72's '§d, and' over 72's fd. ■'-. The following is a comparison of the values with the corresponding sale last year:—? . ■■"■■; ' "••"■■ "-- April 29. April2B. 1938. 1937. Wethers— s. s. s. s. Ex. prime heavy : to 314 to 44 Prime heavy .. 271 to 29 281 to 321 Prime med.-weight 24$ to 27 261 to 28 Ordinary .. 21 to 23J 25 to 264 Light .. .. to 201 to 24J Ewes— Ex. prime heavy to 272 to 311 Prime heavy .. 22 to 25 23 to 23 Prime med.-weight 18 Ordinary' ..14 to 171 162 to 184 Light '/.;■' ■ '.. ' to 131 to 161 * Fat Lambs It would seem that the schedule rates for fat lambs were honoured more in the breach than in the pbservance on Wednesday. For all reasonably well finished lambs the schedule rates were exceeded. The skin also comes into the question in the lamb market, but the fact that up to 24s Id was paid for moderate shorn lambs indicates the strength of the demand for the actual meat. It is a number of years since such a big proportion of the lamb entry at v Addington exceeded the 30s mark. Ex. prime heavy to 364 to 424 Prime heavy .. 264 to 28 30 to 33 Prime med.-weight 241 to 26 272 to 291 Ordinary .. 22 to 244 241 to 27 Light .. .. to 212 to 24 Store Sheep - Singularly enough the store lamb market eased rather, definitely. Undoubtedly the standard was very indifferent, and the possibility of a proportion of some of the more backward lines not coming through the winter was a factor in the competition. Forward adult wethers, on the other hand, sold very keenly, goofl sorts making from 24s to 26s lOd, prices which covered two lines aggregating •nearly : 1000 head. The' ewe section, contained a lot of old sheep, and although the prices for them appeared low, they were actually well sold considering the quality. Though the number of ewes showed a big.reduction on the pennings at recent sales, they are still very large for this time of the year. * Ewes— Ord. s.m. Jbd. .. 18 to 194 to 251 S. and £.m. .. 16 to 171 18 to 20 F.M. .. ... ■ to 12 14 to 17 Cull .. .. ', to 9 Wethers— Forward .. 22 to 24i 241 to 262 Medium .. 20 to 211 21 to 24 Lambs— Ex. good Ibd ewe 29 to 314 Good Ibd ewe .. 22 to 24 to 251 Medium wether .. to 16 to 18 . Small wether .. . to 12 to 15 Fat Cattle There was a much better quality display in the fat cattle pens,. and there was a good free demand for this class. Any pens of well-finished young steers attract the keenest competition, £lO to £ll not Deing unusual .for bodies that would dress between 600 and 6501 b. The entries give no indication of a decline in supplies'.in the immediate future, at-all events.

Steers — £ ■:■-'■£. £ £ Ex. prime heavy ; to m to 152 Prime heavy. 10 to 112 111 to 131 .Prime med.-weight 81 to 101 10 to 113 Ordinary 5£ to 84 9 to 10 Light ■ .. to 5 to 81 Heifers— . : V Ex. prime C to 93. to 12i Prime j.. 6 'to 71 7 to 82 Ordinary 4 to 53 51 to 61 Light .. to 32 to 5 CowsEx. prime to 91 to 111 Prime .. SI to 7 52 to 71 Medium 31 to 5 4J to 54 Light « I i M to 3j, to 4