ADDINGTON MARKET

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24237, 20 April 1944, Page 3

ADDINGTON MARKET

HEAVY BEEP ENTRIES VALUES GENERALLY EASIER

a L he ® n^r y of fat cattle at yesterday’s Addington market was one of the heaviest ot the season—64o head. For • Sood cattle, there was only a moder- . ate easing; but the exceptionally heavy proportion of cull dairy cows over-supplied the market, and declined in. value. Fat sheep sold irregularly, out improved in the later stages. The entry of sheep was the largest for some time. The fat lamb penning showed the effects of the soft feed tmlowmg the heavy rains. The latter circumstance, moreover, restricted the market for store lambs. Prices of breeding ewes were well up to recent levels. Store pigs were forward in large numbers, and sold at lower prices. STORE SHEEP oAi£r e entt 7 ° f store sheep aggregated s*oo. against 8250 last week. Of this total 4400 were lambs as compared with 2238 a week ago. The quality of the lamb entry was not up to recent standards, mainly because of several end-of-season Imes coming forward, due to the difficulty of fattening them or of carrying them over as the result of the present rank growth. This position was also reflected ln a weakening of the sound market which has been in evidence for some weeks past. Wether lambs showed a drop of about Is a head, but although the demand for ewe lambs appeared to be weaker, there was not much change in prices. The best price for ewe lambs was 30s for a line of Romnev cross sheep, and that for wethers was 21s 3d. A line of shorn mixed sex lambs commanded Bood competition and sold at 18s. Values were:—open-woolled ewe lambs, to 30s good to 275, best halfbred ewe lambs to 26s Id,' good to 24s 6d, best wethers to 21s 3d. good 18s 6d to 19s lOd. small and inferior 11s to 13s 6d. There was a comparatively small entry of two-tooth ewes, and this was comprised mostly of medium sheep, with an absence of the quality displayed at recent markets. This was indicated by most of the sales being about the 25s mark, but nevertheless the demand was satisfactory for the class offering. In the older sheep section; prices for all classes were well uo to reren' lines from the Chatham Islands were forward, one of four, six. and eight-tooth empty ewes selling from 24s 6d to 345, and four and six-tooth wethers from the same source made up to 275. Good four-year-old halfbred ewes, running with rams, sold from 22s to 24s 6d, medium making from 15s 6d to 21s. All other classes sold well, and the sale generally was well up to recent standards. FAT LAMBS The entry of fat lambs totalled 3205 against 3000 last week, and there was again a scarcity of butchers’ lambs. No doubt because of the moist and colder weather and to the flush of growth getting little opportunity to harden off, many farmers have had to get rid of their lambs before finishing them, and in consequence yesterday’s yarding was comprised mostly of light and unfinished lambs, The bulk of these were taken by the freezing buyers, but some lines were evidently not up to their standard, as several pens were passed in. Any pens suitable for the trade were eagerly snapped up at prices in keeping with recent values, while freezing sheep maintained schedule rates The highest price was 33s Id for a pen of 20 from J. Petrie, Woodend. and the best average was secured by W L Foster, Parnassus who sold 76 from 26s 7d to 31s 4d. Values were:—prime lambs to 33s Id. good 26s lOd to 31s lOd. medium 23s to 25s 7d, light and unfinished 18s lOd to 21s. FAT SHEEP , Approximately 5000 fat sheep were yarded, mostly ewes of mixed quality. The early part of the sale was confined to medium class and unfinished ewes, and the sale was dragging at prices that showed a slight decline on recent figures; but later in the market, with an improvement in quality, competition became more widespread. There was again a distinct scarcity of wethers, and the few pens offered met with a ready sale, the highest price being 425, A feature of the yarding was an entry of 108 big-framed Romney ewes from A. F Marr, Methven. These met with spirited competition amongst the trade, and sold from 21s 7d to 34s 7d, the line averaging 265. This was an outstanding line, and there was a wide margin between the top pen and the best of the remainder of the yarding. • Values were:— Extra prime wethers, to 425. Prime wethers, 34s 6d to 38s 4d. Prime medium-weight wethers, 31s to 33s 4d. Light wethers, to 27s 6d. Extra prime ewes, to 34s 7d. Prime ewes, 27s 6d to 32s Id. Prime medium-weight ewes, 22s to 25s 6d. Ordinary ewes, 15s 6d to 19s. FAT CATTLE The entry was an overflow one, and about the largest of the season. It comprised 640 head as against 512 last week. The excess was made up for the most part of cows culled from dairy herds. Though there were a few more prime steers forward, they were only a* small proportion of the whole yarding. The market opened slightly easier than a week ago for good cattle, but definitely so tor the big proportion of mediocre beef. The better quality,’ except for heavy steers, firmed slightly later on in the sale, and met with a good demand throughout at prices slightly cheaper than a week ago, but the big showing of cows was very hard to quit, especially as the sale neared the end. Their number far exceeded the demand. There were few good heifers forward, and these sold well. Best medium-weight beef made from 45s to 48s per 1001b, good beef 42s 6d to 455, medium to 40s, best cow to 395, ordinary to 335. Top prices were as follows:—P. Moore (Okain’s Bay), 7 two and a half-year-old steers averaged £l9 Is 9d; Kinloch Estate (Little River). 8 steers at £2l 12s 6d; I. L. M. Coop (Ataahua), 8 steers at £2O 12s 6d £2l 12s 6d; Ahnandale Estate (Pigeon Bay), 9 at £l3 17s 6d to £ls 7s 6d, 4 cows at £l3 2s 6d to £l3 12s 6d; W. A. Jamieson (Koiterangi), 9 steers at £lB 2s fid to £22 17s 6d. Values were as under:— Extra prime steers, to £22 17s fid. Prime steers, £lB to £l9 10s. Prime medium-weight steers, £ls to £l7. Ordinary steers, £l2 to £l4. Extra prime heifers, to £ls 17s fid. Prime heifers, £l2 to £l4 ss. • Medium' heifers, £9 5s to £ll 15s. Light heifers, to £8 10s. Extra prime cows, to £l4 7s 6d. Prime cows, £lO 5s to £l3. Medium cows, £7 5s to £9. Light cows, to £7. STORE CATTLE The entry of store cattle included a very attractive line of 100 calves from South Qtago, all well-bred Black Poll-Hereford cross. The market opened sluggishly and values were inclined to be easier. The southern line was passed with the exception of a pen of 18 steers and 19 calves, which sold at £6 ss. Other pens- of local calves included a pen of 12 at £4 11s. A pen of 24 18-months Hereford cross heifers sold at £5 6s, and another pen of nine 18-months Black Poll-Hereford cross at £5 3s fid. There was a big yarding of bulls, and the best of these sold at round about £ll. VEALERS The yarding of vealers was nearly double 'that of last week, and although prices over the early stages showed a slight advance, the demand receded to-, wards the end, because of the big entry. The quality generally was good, but there were more unfinished calves than usual, and these were hard to sell. On the whole the sale was a sound one, for the best quality entries and recent prices were substantially maintained, but there was a drop of about 5s a head on medium class. Values were:—prime runners, £5 to £7 11s, others £3 8s 6d to £4 18s 6d; best vealers. £3 13s 6d to £5 13s 6d, medium £2 13s fid to £3 11s; large calves 35s to 475, medium 30s to 345, small 8s to 18s. DAIRY CATTLE There was a larger entry in the dairy section, comprising approximately 100 head, made up by a fair proportion of useful types of cows, and a fairly heavy yarding of heifers. The attendance of buyers round the yards was large, and a definitely better demand was experienced than for some time. Values on an average were better for good types by 30s a head. Even the indifferent sorts shared in the advance, but not to the same extent. Best second, third, and fourth cal vers made from £l3 10s to £l7 10s, with a good Shorthorn cross at £l9 10s.

good average sorts £ll to £l3, medium cows £8 to £lO 10s, others £5 5s to £7: best Friesian heifers made to £l9, good heifers £l3 to £ls JOs, average sorts £9 10s to £l2 10s, small £6 to £8 10s.

FAT PIGS The entry of porkers was again small, and the market was a shade firmer all round. Last week's good prices were exceeded by 2s to 3s a head. The entry of bacon was of medium size, and the sale was again a good one, being the best for some time. A general improvement of 2s to 3s was apparent, with occasional advances up to ss. The entry of choppers was much smaller, practically no large pigs being yarded. All classes showed an advance of from 10s to 20s a head. Values W Light porkers, 44s 6d to 51s 6d, medium 55s 6d to £3 Is 6d. heavy £3 4s 6d to £3 £3 3s 6d to £7 16s. Light baconers, £3 19s 6d to £4 4s 6d, medium £4 9s 6d to £4 16s 6d, heavy £4 17s 6d to £5 3s 6d, extra heaVy £5 9s 6d< price per lb, Bid to BJd. STORE PIGS There was an overflow entry of store pigs. The sale over the first race was lifeless, a number of pens failing to attract a bid. However, with a late arrival of buyers, there was a distinct firming In the competition, and the remainder of the penning sold at prices about 2s to 3s a head below last week’s rates. Practically the whole yarding consisted of weaners and small and large stores. The latter sold very well at prices fully on a par with the rates of last week. Values W Small weaners, 4s to 7s; best, 10s to 15s. lm P ali stores. Mo 265; medium. 29s to 325; large, to 355. BURNSIDE " The Press Special Service /pi) DUNEDIN. April 19. At the Burnside market to-day there were heavy entries in all sections, and prices generally were somewhat easier, in the fat cattle section 350 head were offered, and the entry was made up generally of fine quality, there being only a few pens of light and unfinished sorts. The sale opened under easier rates than those ruling last week, but prices Improved as the sale progressed, with a slight easing again towards the end of the sale. Prices for cattle were quoted £1 lower on the average than was the case last Wednesday. Extra prime bullocks made to £2l; prime, £l6 7s 6d to £l7 17s 6d; medium, £l3 12s 6d to £l4 12s 6d: light, from £9 2s 6d to £lO 12s 6d; extra prime heifers, to £l4 6s 6d; prime, £lO 7s 6d to £l2 2s 6d; medium. £8 2s 6d to £9 2s 6d, light from £6 2s 6d; prime heavy cows, io £l3 2s 6d; prime, £8 12s 6d to £9 17s 6d: medium, £6 12s 6d to £7 12s 6d; light, £ 6 2s 6d There was a heavy entry of fat sheep, approximately 3000 being offered. The display from the viewpoint ofqualitywas poor, the greater portion of the yardfng being made up of medium and Inferior ewes. Good wethers were also scarce, those yarded being mainly ordinary and aged. For good quality wethers prices opened on the same scale as last Wednesday, other sorts meeting with a dragging sale. Extra prime wethers made to 35s 9d; prime, 30s to 335: medium, 25s to 26s 6d; light, 21s to 225: prime heavy young ewes, 28s 6d; prime, 21s to 235, medium, 16s to 16s 6d; light, Us to 15s. The entry of fat lambs was also larger than .last week, and there were about 2000 penned. The sale did not disclose as firm a tone as previous sales, owing to the difficulty of killing, and also for the reason that there was mixed quality. Extra prime lambs sold to 32s 6d; prune, 27s 6d to 30s; medium, 23s to 255. light. There was a small entry of store cattle, one pen of two and a half-year-old steers realising £8 18s, while a pen of heifers two to two and a half-year-old fetched £2 6s. Vealers were quoted firmon last week’s prices, best sorts fetching from £4 10s to £5 10s, and medium from £3 to £3 ss. There was again a particularly keen sale for baconers. the entry being the largest for some time. Extra QJJ a JjJy baconers realised from £7 10s to £8 12s; prime, £6 4s to £6 18s; medium. £5 3s to £5 13s; light, from £4 13s. There was an average yarding of store pigs, and they met with a fair demand.