ADDINGTON MARKET

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23625, 30 April 1942, Page 7

ADDINGTON MARKET

A WEAKER TENDENCY EASING IN STORE SHEEP VALUES The prevalence of frosts, the continuance of dry weather, and their effect on growth were reflected in a less active marhet at Addington yesterday. Breeding ewes and wethers were easier by up to 2s a head, store lambs were fractionally easier, and unfinished fat cattle were also down in value. Fat sheep and fat lambs sold at very little change on last week's rates STORE LAMBS The total entry in the store lamb section numbered 2010 head, as against 2827 last week and 2800 a fortnight ago. The attendance of buyers was small, but competition was well maintained at practically on a par with last week's rates. The offering was composed largely of cull and poor conditioned hill country lines, and included a large proportion of mixed sex lines. Considering the change in the prospective feed conditions the market was quite a good one in the light of the slacker demand for adult sheep later in the day. Top price was 24s for a pen of 72 Romney cross ewe lambs, finer wools being 20s 6d for a line of 80 half bred ewe lambs. Best wether lambs made to 19s Id, medium to good 15s to 17s 3d. and small and cull sorts from I2s 6d to 14s. Now that the store lamb market is practically at an end it may be deemed the best for some years from a price point of view. STORE SHEEP With the advance of the season there was again a decline in the store sheep entry. The owe entry numbered 1441 and that of wethers 1841, as against a total of 5235 last week. There was a small attendance of buyers and the sale generally was in marked contrast to that of a few weeks ago. There was a lack of interest, and competition was slow and dragging. Generally values were down by up to 2s a head. The principal cause of this probably is the dry spell which has set in over a large part of the province, and to an extent the ravages of the diamond back both, which is threatening to affect turnip crops. The class of ewe offered was very indifferent, and this mediocrity doubtless affected competition for that class in the chang-. ing feed conditions. Few pens of quality ewes were Included in the penning, the bulk being of uncertain age, A pen of six and eight-tooth shipped strong wool ewes sold at 26s 6d for 58. and another at 25s 6d. The best price for two tooths of 59, was 21s lid, an indication of the class forward. The bulk of the offering ranged from 12s 6d to 15s Pd with culls down to 11s. The entry of wethers was slightly larger than that of last week, and it ineluded some good pens of two-tooths. The easing in the ewe market extended to wethers, and the decline in this section ranged up to 2s a head. A pen of 70 two-tooth halfbred wethers made 265, and 67 Romney two-tooths 25s 6d. and another or 52 sold at 22s lOd. These were outstanding sales, however, the best i£ u finer woolled sorts ranging from 17s 6d to 21s. There was a substantial proportion of passings in the wether sale. FAT LAMBS i Tl J ere was a slightly larger entry of fat iambs than a week ago. A larger proportion of prime lambs was forward, and for these there was brisk competition from butchers, a number of pens selling at more than 30s. There was no change in the value of export lambs, which about maintained schedule rates. Some good prices for the best pens were realised, the two top pens of a draft from Birdling's Flat making 35s lOd and 34s lOd, FAT SHEEP The entry differed little in size from that of a week ago, comprising about 4000 head. A better showing of prime young ewes was included, and for these there was a slight Increase in values. The wether entry was generally of better quality than a week ago, and this was reflected in a slightly higher scale of values. Butchers' ewes maintained last week’s parity up to the middle of the sale, but did not keep pace with last week’s advance in the final stages. The export schedule has not altered since last week, up to 641b ewes being at a 3Jd level, and export purchases showed no change, ranging from 13s to 16s 6d.

t£ Values were as under:— Extra prime heavy wethers, to 345. Prime wethers. 29s 6d to 31s 6d. Prime medium-weight wethers, 25s 6d to 28s 6d. Light and ordinary wethers, 22s to 255. Extra prime young, ewes, to 25s 7d. Butchers’ ewes, 19s to 235. Ordinary ewes, 16s 6d to 18s 6d. Export ewes, 13s to 16s 6d. FAT CATTLE . The entry of fat cattle totalled 630 head, compared with an overflow entry of’ 778 last week. Much of the entry was of indifferent finish. The arrival of several hard frosts, indicating a cessation of the good growing season, brought forward more moderately fattened cattle than for some weeks, and in addition cows and heifers culled from dairy herds provided a moderate element. Values, except for prlmest cattle, showed a definite easing, substantially so for medium and indifferently finished. For the latter sort values have eased sharply in the last few weeks, and the sale of them yesterday, particularly for heifers, was slow and dragging. The market is obviously beirg affected by the successive large entries of medium, and indifferent quality. Extra good beef sold at from 3Ts 6d to 39s 6d, good 36s to 37s 6d, and ordinary to medium to 335. Values were as under:Extra prime heavy steers, to £l7 17s 6d. Prime heavy steers, £l4 5s to £ls 15s. Prime medium-weight steers, £ll 10s to £l3 10s. Light and ordinary steers, £lO to £ll ss. Extra prime heifers, to £ll 17s 6d. Prime heifers, £9 to £lO ss. Medium heifers, £6 5s to £8 10s. Light heifers, to £6. Extra prime' cows, to £lO 17s 6d. Prime cows. £6 10s to £9. Medium cows, £5 to £6 ss. Light and aged cows, to £4 15s. VEALERS There was a smaller entry in the vealer section. Good quality calves formed a fair proportion of the entry, the remainder being made up of ordinary calves and large runners. The sale opened draggingly and did not improve to any extent during the sale. The number yarded last week created a carry-over on butchers’ requirements and this affected the buying capacity to a marked extent. Values were;— Large runners, £4 13s 6d to £7 8s 6d; others £3 Is to £4 11s. Good Vealers, £3 3s 6d to £4 16s. Medium vealers, £2 11s to £3 Is. Large calves. 38s to 545. Medium calves, 26s to 365. Small calves, 6s to 255. STORE CATTLE The store cattle entry was small, and except for a few pens of young sorts were an indifferent lot. A pen of seven 20-months-old Friesian heifers sold <jt £7 16s, and another pen at £7. A particularly good pen of 11 Hereford steers sold at £B, and another of six Black Polls at the same figure. In view of the , declining prices for beef these were satisfactory values, but the two lines were quality sorts. The remainder of the market comprised odd pens of cows. DAIRY COWS The entry of dairy cattle comprised 75 head, of which quality was very mediocre, few good cows or heifers being penned. For the better sorts the demand was keen, being up to last week’s parity. For the Indifferent classes, which formed a big percentage of the entry, met with with a sluggish demand. Best second, third, and fourth cal vers made from £l2 to £l6, good £9 10s to £ll 10s, average sorts £7 to £8 15s, low-conditioned and Inferior, including spring calvers, £3 10s to £6 10s; best heifers £ll to £l4, averagf.ports £8 to £lO 10s, small and backward sorts £5 5s to £7 10s. FAT PIGS There was an etxra large yarding in the porker section, and values were easier over the first half of the auction by 2s to 3s a head. As the sale progressed prices eased again, and were Ss to 7s a head down compared with those ruling at last week’s sale. Included in the entr£ was a large proportion of small porkers, which ranged in values from about 33s to 39s 6d. Choppers were the heaviest yarding so far this season, values being easier by 5s to 10s a head. In the bacon section the yarding was on a par with that of last week. Competition was keen, and all pigs except the over-weight class were a shade in vendors’ favour. Once again the quality of the yarding was good. Values were:— Light porkers, from 33s 6d to 41s 6d.Medium porkers, 44s 6d to 51s 6d. Heavy porkers, 52s 6d to 59s 6d. Average price per lb, 6Jd to 7Jd, Light baconers, £3 3s 6d to £3 10s 6d. Medium baconers, £3 12s od to £3 18s 6d. Heavy baconers, £4 0s 6d to £4 12s 6d. Average price per lb, 6id to 7Jd. STORE PIGS There was a medium entry In the store pig section, and the sale for this period of the year was quite a keen one, values in most cases recovering the drop of last week’s sale, excepting over the latter part of the auction, when there was an easing of 2s to 3s a head. Values were:— Small weaners, 8s to 10s. Best weaners, 12s to 15s. Slips, from 14s to 18s. Small stores, 19s to 235. Medium stores. 24s to 28s. Large stores, to 355. BURNSIDE (P.A.) DUNEDIN, April 29. Fat sheep and fat lamb entries at Burnside were substantially smaller and prices showed a decided improvement. A larger fat cattle entry brought an easing in nrices which was more noticeable m the medium and lighter sorts. Baconers were firm to a shade better, while porkers showed an improvement of 14s to 16s a head. There was again a large yarding ot fat cattle, 410 being penned, compared with 350 a week ago. Prices for the best quality showed an easing of 15s a head, while medium and ordinary beef could be quoted from 25s to 30s a head lower than last week. Quotations: Extra prime quality £l7 12s 6d, prime ,£l4 12s 6d to £l6 2s 6d, medium £ll 2s 6d to £l2 7s 6d; light £8 to £9 12s 6d; extra prime cows and heifers. £ll. prime £7 2s 6d to £8 2s 6d. light £5 7s 6d to £6 2s 6d. The fat sheep penning was about 300, compared with 2200 last week. Good wethers showed an appreciation of Is 6d to 2s a head, while ewes advanced by 2s to 3s. Quotations: Best heavy-weight wethers to 36s 6d prime 28s to 29s 6d, ■ medium 25s 9d to’27s, light 20s to 21s 6d; prime young ewes to 26s 6d. prime 19s to 22s 6d. medium 16s 9d to 18s, light 14s to 15s 6d. The entry of fat lambs numbered 900, in comparison with 2200 last week and in consequence prices were firmer to the extent of 2s a head. Quotations. Extra nrime lambs to 325, prime 28s 6d to 29s Sd medium 26s 3d to 275. light 22s fld to 245. Compared with last week, the entry of porkers was only about half. Competition was very keen and prices were.better by 12s to 15s a head. Baconers were firm to 4s above last week’s ruling rates. Quotations: Best baconers to £5 2s, medium £3 6s to £3 14s: best porkers to £3 16s, medium £2 17s to £3 12s light to 4?s. The store cattle entry did not compare with last week’s large yarding, and prices, were generally easier by 10s a head. Three and four-year-old steers made up to £lO, two and a half to three-year-old £7 las to £8 15s. 18-months to two-year-old £4 5s to £5 12s. Fresh cows suitable for erasers’ requirements were also easier and sold from. £3 15s to £4 12s 6d.