ADDINGTON STOCK SALES

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25276, 30 August 1947, Page 6

ADDINGTON STOCK SALES

Year’s Figures Increase BUYERS FROM NELSON TO INVERCARGILL

During the year ended June 30, 1947, close on 800,000 head of stock were handled at the Addington Yards at the weekly sales. The total was made up of 705,117 sheep of all classes, 54,248 cattle, and 30,095 pigs, a total of 789,460 head altogether. The total is an increase of 14,410 over the figures for the .same period in the previous year in spite of a large reduction in the number of fat lambs. The sheep sold at Addington consisted of 272.954 fats, arid 359,294 stores. The fat sheep total was 22,913 above the total for the previous year of 250.041. The store sheep yarding showed a smaller Mise of 7787 over the total of 351.507 in the previous year. The total of fat lambs sold. 72,864, showed a substantial reduction of 19.201, when compared with the total of 92,070 yarded the year before. The freezing companies concentrated on buying on the farms this year, and this accounts largely for the decline in numbers sold at Addington.

The fat cattle total was 28,063. a reduction of 953 on the total of 29,016 yarded the year before. The reduction is not significant, and is probably accounted for by the generally > better quality of the yardings. which have recently been notable for the absence of the familiar large “tail” of old and unattractive cow*' A reflection of the increased interest of pastoral farmers in cattle is the considerably larger offering in the store cattle section. The total went up from 12.889 in the previous year to 15.083 this year. Th? period under review was notable for the large number of well-bred station lines of all ages sent forward, particularly lines of station suckers and runners. Store cattle have been in good demand practically sine' the end of the war, and hav? usually brought good prices. Dairy cattle yardings showed practically no change at 3400 head for the year. Vealers showed a slight reductioii of 427 to 7702 when compared with the previous period. The reduc- ! tion was no doubt accounted for partly * by the excellent , demand for store j stock. Certainly the demand for veal i was ir aintained at an excellent level. ‘ Bacon pigs showed a reduction from 8963 to 8086, but porkers increased substantially from 9449 to 12,239. Throughout the year the shortage of pig meat was acute, and high prices were realised for the yardings offered. That does not mean that the fattener made a lot of money, because the short-; age of labour, and more import tant, the very •*high prices for, feed, offset. the high prices for j the finished product. Many dairyfarmers within easy range of the city have recently turned over to town supply milking, a trend which is continuing, and thus have no skim to feed pigs. The reduction in bacon was accompanied by a rise in pork figures, which is again a reflection of the difficulty of carrying on pigs to bacon weights. The total offerings of store pigs showed a slight rise at 9788.' Supplies for Addington continue to be drawn from all over the South Island The Marlborough railway has had an effect in providing an outlet for greatly increased numbers of store sheep, fat sheep and fat cattle from farms north of Kaikoura. West Coast consignments of cattle and sheep are large. Offerings of fat stock from Southland and South Otago have been smaller than normal because of the shortage of feed there this summer and winter.

Addington also sends supplies of fat stock to an increasingly large part of the South Island. For many years now butchers in the smaller towns in Canterbury have regularly bought at Addington, and butchers on the West Coast are coming more and more into the market. Recently there have been a number of purchases on behalf of Marlborough butchers, and purchases have been made for Nelson clients. Southland, instead of sending stock to Addington, has this winter been making purchases there, and consignments of cattle have gone to Gore and to Invercargill. Addington is unique among the stock markets of New Zealand. and continues to set a standard of values fdr the whole Dominion.