ADDINGTON MARKET

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23745, 17 September 1942, Page 7

ADDINGTON MARKET

SMALLER FAT STOCK ENTRIES MUTTON AND BEEF DEARER From a price point of view, the weekly market at Addington yesterday was the best of the season. Entries both in the fat cattle and fat sheep sections were small, and cattle advanced over the earlier stages by 25s a head, numerous pens exceeding 50s per 1001b. Eat sheep showed an all round rise for quality wethers, ewes, and hoggets, of about 4s a head, whilst the high rates of last week for porkers were maintained and bacon pigs were also dearer. Store sheep were slightly . firmer. STORE SHEEP The yarding of store sheep was considerably larger than that of last week, due to the heavier entry of ewe hoggets, which numbered 1600 as against 720. There was a much larger attendance of buyers. The heavier entry was due doubtless to the improvement in pasture prospects as a result of last week’s rain. Although prices showed only a slight advance on those of a week ago, competition was much keener. The hoggets were all of good quality and condition, particularly the few wether. Best price for ewes was 36s 3d, for a pen of 78 Romney cross, the next best figure being 32s 3d. for a pen of similar sheep. Best prices for halfbred ewe hoggets was 28s 3d, for a pen of 103, and other pens sold at from 24s 5d to 255. Wether hoggets were the best for some weeks, top price being 26s 8d for a pen of 87. Other lines sold from 23s 6d to 25s 9d, and medium from 20s 6d to 22s lid. Only two pens of adult ewes were forward, and one was sold, a pen of four-tooth halfbred in lamb to English Lelcesters, at 29s 3d. Possibly duo to last week’s dull market, the entry of ewes and lambs was much smaller, only 203 ewes with 209 lambs at foot being yarded. Competition was freer and the best pens ranged from 14s lid to 15s 6d all counted, and the remainder from 12s 3d to 14s. Adult wethers were confined to less than a dozen sheep, which brought 24s 9d. SPRING LAMBS There was an entry of 55 spring lambs only against 230 last week. The quality was not up to that of previous offerings, but owing to the short supply, there was a substantial increase in prices, ranging up to 5s a head. The best price was 46s lOd for a single lamb, and there were several sales between 39s and 42s 6d. FAT SHEEP The fat sheep entry totalled approximately 3000 against 3500 last week. The bulk of the yarding was in th_ wether section, and some, outstanding lines were In evidence. Ewes were in short supply, and the demand for these was unusually keen. Competition was animated from the outset for all classes, and a general allround rise of 4s a head was recorded. One feature of the sale was a truck lot of Romney cross wethers from Feilding, which realised from 49s 7d to 53s 7d, averaging 51s. Another line of 54 South Canterbury two-tooth wethers made from 54s Id for long-woolled sheep to 55s 4d for one pen of fine-woolled sheep, the average being 54s 9d. A line of 51 wethers from Ivor Gray (Kaituna) made from 46s Id to 53s lOd. A line of 43 hoggets ranged from 37s 7d to 40s 7d. Values 'jSxtra prime heavy wethers, 50s to 55s 4d. 'Prime wethers, 44s to 48s. Prime medium-weight wethers, 38s to 42s 6d. Light wethers, to 365. Extra good quality ewes, 41s to 46s 7a. Prime ewes, 34s to 37s 6d. Prime medlum-wegiht ewes. 30s to 32s 6d. , nn Light and ordinary ewes, to 295. FAT CATTLE The fat cattle entry was one of the smallest of the season, comprising 380 head as against recent averages cf up to 500. At the opening of the market the number was less than this, and as a result, butchers sent values up with a spurt, there being a further all-round increase of about 25s a head for prime quality. Tills caused a general disposal of the best quality at more than 50s per 1001b, frequently to 535. and in the case of pens that especially appealed, to 55s per 1001b. With later entries, however, the rush abated, and in the concluding stages of the market some of the advance was lost. Light cattle improved by less than the primer quality, On an average throughout the sale best beef maae from 50s to 52s 6d, In a few cases In the earlier stages to 555, prime medium to good average weights from 46s 6d to 495, medium quality 43s to 455, and ordinary down to 39s per 1001b. The market throughout, however, was irregular, a number of pens showing only a little appreciation in the final stages on those of last week. Values were as under:— Extra prime heavy steers, £23 10s to £27 12s 6d Prime heavy steers, £2O 5s to £23. Prime medium-weight steers, £lB to £2O. Ordinary steers, £ls 10s to £l7. Light steers, to £l4 10s. Extra prime heifers, £l7 to £2l 2s 6d. Prime heifers. £l3 Jss to £ls 15s. Medium heifers, £ll to £l3. Ordinary heifers to £lO ss. Extra prime cows, £ls to £l7 17s 6d. Prime cows, £l2 to £l4. Medium cows, £lO to £ll 10s. Ordinary cows, £7 5s to £9 10s. Some exceptionally high prices were realised in the earlier part of the sale. Two steers from J. Bussell (Waikuku) sold at £27 12s 6d and £26 2s 6d, and an outsize heifer at £2l 2s 6d. Four steers from J. Paton (Domett) averaged £25 2s 6d. seven from C. B. Thacker (Okains Bay) £24 0s 6d. and eight from A. T. M. Thacker (Okains Bay), £23 17s. VEALERB Entries were slightly larger than those of last week in the vealer section and for the most part comprised ordinary and small calves. Generally it was a low. grade offering. The sale was much on a par with that of last week. Large runners, if anything, appreciated slightly on the advanced rates of a week ago. Values were:— __ . Large runners, £6 3s 6d to £8 11s; others £3 18s 6d to £5 18s 6d, Good vealers, £4 6s to £6 3s 6d; medium £3 11s to £4 3s 6d. Large calves, 54s to 78s; medium, 35s to 50s; small 6s to 325. STORE CATTLE The total entry of store cattle was much on a par with that of last week, and bidding by a good attendance of buyers was fully up to late rates. There were no shipped cattle forward, but prices for local steers were fully up to last week’s high rates. A pen of three-year-old Shorthorn-cross steers realised £l2 8s 6d; and another pen of similar two-year-olds brought £9 18s 6d. Competition was slightly better for forward cows, the best of these making up to £7 6s. Medium to good cows brought from £5 16s to £6 11s. and older and inferior ranged from 50s