STOCK SALES

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25427, 25 February 1948, Page 5

STOCK SALES

TEMUKA At the commencement of the sale of the 160 head of fat cattle at the Temuka sale yesterday, values were 50s a head down on recent sales. With the passing of a few pens, competition livened up, and values recovered gradually as the sale progressed. Prices were:— Prime fat steers, £lB 2s 6d to £2l 7s 6d; light to medium fat steers, £l2 7s 6d •to £l5 17s 6d; prime heifers, £l4 7s 6d to £l6 12s 6d; light to medium prime heifers, £lO 2s 6d to £l2 17s 6d; prime cows, £l2 2s 6d to £l4 17s 6d: light to medium prime cows, £7 2s 6d to £9 17s 6d. More than 1200 fat lambs were offered for sale to a full representation of exporters and there was a good sale. The large yarding of fat sheep was made up for the most part of freezing ewes, and with the competition not so keen as usual, values eased slightly. The store sheep yarding was followed by a large number of farmers and a sound sale was recorded. Prices were:— • Prime heavy lambs, 34s lOd to 37s lOd; prime lambs. 32s Id to 33s 7d; prime heavy wethers, 47s lOd to 54s 4d; prime heavy wethers, 41s lOd to 43s 4d; light to medium heavy wethers, 31s Id to 34s 7d; prime ewes, 26s lOd to 29s 4d; freezing ewes, 20s 4d to 25s lOd; prime maiden ewes, to 40s 4d. Store sheep: shorn rape lambs. 20s to 21s 4d; medium ewe lambs, 21s 4d to 22s 7d: best ewe lambs, to 31s; small ewe lambs. 17s 6d to 19s; two-tooth wethers. 32s 6d to 34s 9d; rape ewes, 14s 6d to 17s. RANGIORA There was a fair yarding of store lambs at yesterday’s sale at Rangiora. Approximately 350 lambs were forward, with keen competition for all classes. The demand for small class was heavy. No cattle were forward. Prices realised were:— Sheep.—Store lambs: medium, 19s 6d to 25s 3d; forward, 29s 6d. Pigs.—Weaners, 18s to 24s 6d; slips, 28s to 365. TINWALD An attempt to force down prices to a lower level was made by Ashburton butchers at the Tinwald sale yards yesterday. Consequently there were heavy passings and nearly half the yarding was not sold. There was a big yarding, but freezing buyers were operating under freezing schedules only. From to-day Ashburton butchers will be operating under the Canterbury Master Butchers’ Association’s schedule at future stock sales. The heavy passings make it difficult to give a true range of values for the sheep sold, but ewes were down by 2s to 3s a head on last week’s values. Extra prime ewes brought up to 28s. The best wethers sold brought up to 48s 7d a head for extra prime quality, four being sold at this price on account of L. Grice (Tinwald). LORNEVILLE (P.A.) INVERCARGILL, February 24. The entry of fat cattle at Lorneville to-day consisted mostly of light and unfinished sorts. In the absence of competition from country butchers, the market was dull. Passings were frequent in the early stages of the sale, but improved to be on a par with last week’s rates. Values: good quality heavy-weight bullocks £lB 10s to £2O, light-weight £l6 10s to £l7 10s, small £l4 to £l5 10s; good quality medium-weight heifers to £l9, light-weight £l4 10s to £l6. small £lO 10s to £l2; good quality mediumweight cows £l5 10s to £l7 10s, lighterweights £ll to £l2 10s; unfinished £8 10s to £lO. Wethers provided the bulk of the fat sheep entry. They were mostly light and unfinished sorts. Better quality sheep met with keen demand at values showing an improvement about 3s for wethers and 2s for ewes. Values: good quality me-dium-weight wethers 51s to 535; good quality two-tooth wethers. 49s 6d to 525: medium quality, 46s to 48s: lighter weights 43s 6d to 455, small and unfinished 40s to 425; good quality maiden ewes, to 41s; butchers’ ewes 30s to 32s 6d; freezing sorts. 27s to 295. There was a small entry of better quality fat lambs. Values; butchers’ lambs 40s to 43s 6d. lighter sorts 35s to 38s-