RECORD RETURN FROM WOOL

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25859, 19 July 1949, Page 4

RECORD RETURN FROM WOOL

£30,955,000 LAST YEAR HIGHEST AVERAGE PRICE AT CHRISTCHURCH (New Zealand Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 18. New Zealand’s wool cheque for the 1948-49 season was the record amount of £30,955,000, according to figures given to-day by the New Zealand Woolbrokers’ Association. The amount was £29,352,000 in 1947-48 and £9,221,000 in 1938-39. In 1930-31 when the wool market felt the full effect of the depression the total return for New Zealand was £3,498,000. The total number of bales sold during the season just ended was 858,275 (827,432 in 1947-48). The average price a bale was a record at £36 Is 4d (£35 9s 6d in 1947-48) and the average price a pound was also a record at 25.811 d (25.137 d in 1947-48). The following figures compare the results at each main wool-selling centre: —

The premium paid for fine wools is reflected in the higher average prices in the South Island, notably at Christchurch, which is the main fine wool centre of New Zealand. The average for crossbred wools, mainly a product of the North Island, kept within a limited range at the four main northern sales.

The record price for New Zealand for the 1948-49 season was about 7s a bale, a sale being reported at Timaru at 84|d and one at Christchurch at 83d, in both cases for Merino wooL

Bales Average Auckland sold. 125,010 £ 31 price, s. d. 19 0 Napier 150,057 32 19 1 Wanganui 97,029 32 9 8 Wellington .. 119,672 34 14 10 Christchurch 111,597 44 0 2 Timaru 56,057 43 0 6 Dunedin 108,913 39 11 10 Invercargill .. 88,358 34 5 8