CANTERBURY EWE FAIRS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27309, 27 March 1954, Page 5

CANTERBURY EWE FAIRS

A Disappointing, Season

UNCERTAINTY OVER PRICES FOR MUTTON

.Several things combined to msTke the 1954 ewe fair season, which ended at Coalgate on Tuesday, a disappointing one for breeders and buyers, and particularly hard work for auctioneers. The main influences were the uncertainty about the future course of prices for old ewe mutton, and the dry season; but subsidiary causes such as the increasing number of fattening flocks now being maintained by breeding rather than buying in, heavier arrivals of sheep from south of the Waitaki, and rising costs combined with a difficult financial year in 1953, also contributed.

At, the 11 principal fairs, including Ashburton, Methven and Rakaia, 196,877 ewes were entered. This was an increase of about 23,500 over last year’s tally of 173,388. For the four markets at Addington at the time of the fairs, a further 89,109 ewes were offered, making a total for the height of the season of 285,986, against 265,584 last year, an increase of about 20,000. The following table sets out the figures for the 11 fairs and the four Addington markets this season and last, broken down into two-tooths and aged ewes:— 1954-

In general, entries at all the fairs were a little larger than they were last year. The most notable change was the rise of 5000 in the number of twotooths offered at the Ashburton County Breeders’ fair. A sharp reduction in the number of two-tooths offered at Addington more than offset the rise, in the number of aged ewes offered there.

In contrast with the difficult season behind the ewes offered last year, this season has been one of the best on record. The winter was mild and feed abundant after a growthy summer and autumn. In September there was a dry gpell with cold winds which checked a remarkable spring growth for a time, and again in November a period of north-westers gave a slight check; but conditions everywhere looked most b promising at the beginning of the new year. It was very dry from then on until the end of February when most districts had light but helpful rains, and much of Canterbury. was feeling the pinch when the fairs opened, though feed was at no time a serious problem. It was becoming acute in some of the districts along the east coast from Timaru to the peninsula, but the March rains have set growth going well everywhere. In Good Order After the favourable season the ewes came to the fairs in very good order f or t he most part. Some of the twotooths showed the effects of the trying period they had as lambs, but they were mostly well-grown and a very big improvement on the shelly and backward two-tooths of the season before. The old ewes did not carry the condit. on they had last year, when many ynes came to sale over-fat. Condition was a littl>» too fine in some cases, but in general the ewes this year were in splendid fettle after the hardening off they got during the drv weather, and were in the best sort of order for buyers. Work on the farms was well forward. Harvest was over quickly, all cultivation work well in hand, lambs were going off well, and feed crops were growing well. Wool had seldom looked so stable and profitable, and lambs were worth good money. It looked like the makings of a specially good season, but the earlier fairs showed plainly that it was to be one of disappointment to breeders, and anxiety for buyers. Principal cause of the uncertaintv that was apparent at almost every, fair was lack of confidence in the future of old ewe mutton on the export market. The protracted negotiations among the Meat Board, the New ZeaS- j Government, and the United Kingdom Government over the renewal of the meat contract were conducted without a hint of what was likely to happen leaking out, and there is still no indication. Farmers have become accustomed to buying in the certain knowledge that there would be a profitable market under the contract when the usefulness of their ewes for breeding was over. This season they »have been up against the possibility that ewe mutton may have a very low value, or perhaps even none at all. For many years before the war there was no absolute certainty about ewe mutton on the overseas markets, but the assumption that it would have -some value, even if it was low, was confirmed by events until just before the war when it was unsaleable. War-time buying at once absorbed the surplus, but farmers remember their lucky escape. Cautious buying this season has therefore been justified, and the uncertainty may last for sdme years yet. A renewal of the contract between the Government for another year would now make very little difference. It might postpone the uncertainty, but the same situation would arise again next year ds has arisen this year. It will probably take some time for the markets to settle down to private and free trading after so many years of regimentation, and it may be several years before the position of ewe mutton in the markets of the world is clearly established. In that case the position is going to be difficult; farmers have discounted the price of ewes this season. Shortage of Feed Almost as strong an influence on the course of prices this year was the shortage of feed in many Mid-Can-terbury dist'icts. Farmers wanted ewes, but had no feed to take them home to, and the powerful Mid-Can-terbury buying, which usually sets the pace for all buying at the fairs, was very restrained. The demand from the drier districts was for ewes with condition on them, and other things being equal, extra condition paid breeders % well throughout the fairs.

There was, of course, the usual solid market for the best of the ewes at all the fairs, and for the good ewes that came to Addington. Quality has always sold well in Canterbury, but at Addington particularly there has been an exceptionally big trade in second and third grade ewes, with which the market was more than usually well supplied. This demand was no doubt a reflection of the reluctance of less well financed farmers to commit themselves to expensive ewes which might represent a big loss on sale as fats. It is difficult to assess the pumber of farmers who have begun to breed their own replacements instead of buying them, but it is certain the number is growing. All over New Zealand the rapid development of better pasture on the low country has placed an increasing strain on the resources of the slower-developing hill country to provide fat lamb ewes. Higher prices for hill ewes have encouraged many farmers to turn to breeding, or to buying lambs to rear as replacements. The excellent prices for good lines of ewe lambs at the fairs showed the strength of this demand. The great increase in the number of two-tooths at the Ashburton fair indicates, at any rate, that many more farmers are breeding in Mid-Canterbury. More abundant pasture has caused a keener demand than ever for openwoolled ewes, and here again, many farmers are breeding their own in an attempt to provide themselves with a style of ewe which they consider

more fitted to their stronger new pastures. It is worth noting that this policy will inevitably lead to complications in the breeding programme unless the farmer is prepared to make a considerable sacrifice in his wool returns.

Another influence on this year’s fairs was the arrival in the Ashburton Countv of an unusually large number of both ewes and ewe lambs from southern districts. It was a dry season over much of Otago and Southland. and as many of these sheep arrived early, a lot of farmers were stocked up before the fairs began Costs have now practically up with increased farm revenue, and costs, in a season after a difficult cropping year, and one of unsatisfactory lamb fattening, combined with heavy income tax payments on .the high revenue of the boom year, dictated caution to large numbers of farmers.

After last season, when foot-rot was everywhere, buyers were most watchful for the disease. There was a good deal less of it among the sale ewes, but still much more than was usual not many years ago. Throughout the season, sheep with footrot were heavily discounted.

A minor irritation was a curious generosity some breeders «howed with the use of the branding iron. Some lines of otherwise good ewes came to sale as heavily painted as the lady of Babylon, and buyers did not like them. Altogether it was a hard season. Probably because their longer useful life gives a better chance to let the ewe mutton market settle down, two-tooths, which last year were relatively cheaper than they should have been compared with older ewes, were relatively dearer this season. They were not a great deal dearer than last year, and in many instances were cheaper, but they regained something like a truer balance. Good two-tooths sold faii’ly well throughout the season, and were dearer than last year at most of the fairs. Secondary two-tooths were much more erratic. As with the older sheep, buyers wanted quality with good bone in return for good prices. Four-year ewes were mostly cheaper than they were last year. At most of the fairs only the /best sold up to breeders’ expectations, and many useful lines without quite the credentials of the top standard lines went at compratively poor prices. Five-Year Prices In general, the five-year ewes took a bad beating. Unless they were exceptional, they sold at relatively poor prices, and never established a* firm oasis of values. * Over the whole series, the course of two-tooth prices tended slightly upward, with secondary sorts showing most movement. Four-year ewes were erratic, well below last year at some fairs, and well above at others. Fiveyear ewes were consistently cheaper than last year, and declined in value as the less attractive style of sheep was reached at the later fairs. At no time was there any great life in the market. At best, as at Ashburton on the twotooths, there was steady bidding at reasonably good prices. At the worst, as at Culverden on the older ewes, the market was lifeless after the few buyers had filled their wants.

The Amberley (northern section) ewes with which the season opened, met a hard sale with restrained buying from Mid-Canterbury. The two-tooths showed a useful rise on last year, but the older ewes, which have never been bettered for quality, were sold at about last year’s rates. The yarding was 17,662. including 7257 two-tooths. Good two-tooths made 86s to 104 s, with a top price of £6 ss. Good four-year ewes made 67s to 80s. with a top of £5 6s, which was by 15s the highest of the season, and good five-year ewes made 57s to 745.

The magnificent offering of nearly 18,500 two-tooths at Ashburton the. next day was the feature of the series Pretty well the whole offering was o good to extra good quality, and ever; sort of breed and cross was represen ted. After a slow start the sale settledown a little below Amberley, but i was a solid market, about 5s above last year’s, though buyers at no time showed any disposition to pay high prices. The best two-tooths made 93s to £5 5s with a top-of £6 17s 6d. The older ewes were as usual, of mediocre quality for the most part. Few fouryear sheep were included in the offering of 15,000, but good five-year ewes had a remarkably good sale. Top five-year price, and easily the highest of the season, was 91s for a particularly choice line of Corriedales.

For some reason, many of the Hawarden ewes lacked the condition that buyers wanted, and these ewes were relatively cheap. It was the usual excellently bred offering, but the younger ewes were below last year’s level. Older ewes showed a small rise. The yarding of 21,734 included 6434 two-tooths. It was the first sale at which buyers made it quite plain that they needed condition. The offering was 21,734, including 6434 two-tooths. Good two-tooths made 87s 6d to £5 ss. with a top price of £6 17s 6d, good four-year made 60s to 70s, with a top of 81s. and good five-year made 43s to 565, with a top of 70s. Most of the yarding of 8500 at Rakaia was of old ewes with doubtful mouths. Good old ewes met a steady market at about current rates, but others were erratic. The best made to’7os, and the best two-tooths, of which there was a small selection, made to £5 15s. Lower Prices All ewes at the northern section Amberley fair showed a decline on last year, with the movement up to 5s a head for older ewes. It was an erratic sale with good sheep well above current rates in odd cases, but with sales for the most part disappointing. Secondary two-tooths sold relatively better than any other class. As a whole, the yarding was of better quality than usual. The offering was 22,132, including 5851 two-tooth's. Good two-tooths made 75s to 87s 6d with tops to £6, good four-year ewes made 50s to 60s with the best to 87s, and good five-year made 44s to 545. The Little River two-tooths this year included far fewer sheep in show order than has been the case in recent times, but they were a splendid lot of serviceable Romneys of very good type. There was little disposition among buyers to pay extreme rates, and as a whole, prices were a couple of shillings below those of last year. The offering of 11,220 included 5907 twotooths, which sold from 97s 6d to £5 2s for good lots, with a top of £7 7s 6d, the season’s highest two-tboth price. The older ewes were the usual very mixeu selection, among which the best sold from 60s to 80s.

The Culverden offering of 24.615 was the usual selection of excellent hill ewes in splendid order. There were far too many sheep for the number of buyers present, and it was a most difficult sale for the auctioneers, who had to keep plugging throughout the day at an almost totally* unresponsive audience Older ewes were well below last year’s rates in many cases, and the average fall was Is to 3s. The 3400 two-tooths met a most erratic market, with some remarkably good sales, and on average were about 5s a head above last year’s ver/ modest prices.

Solid support was given by the farmers of the district to the Methven fair, where a first-class entry of 20,692 came forward. Condition was uniformly good, and the high-country ewes have never looked better. The sale was a little erratic, but on the whole, prices were at their best point of the season. 'The very best of the 4634 two-tooths were sold rather disappointingly, but others sold well, with good sheep making 87s to 93s and tops to £6 ss. Good four-year ewes, of which there was a first-class selection, made from 64s to 88s, and good fiveyear from 50s to 755. The Sheffield yarding was, as usual, made up for the most part of hill ewes without the style of the ewes at the

northern fairs, but with a very solid market in their own district. This year, farmers were not anxious about feed, and bidding was free on all sorts, with prices at their highest point of the season. It was a specially good sale for two-tooths, of which there were 2030 in the yarding of 9173. Older ewes were 7s or so above current rates, and two-tooths about 5s above, though in individual cases they were fully 10s dearer than northern ideas. The good two-tooths made from 85s to £5 12s 6d, and good four-year from 58s to 765. The best of the Oxford two-tooths were a little disappointing, but others sold very well and were a little above current rates. The older ewes, which included a number of serviceable hill lines, met a very dull sale, and at best were about on a par with current rates, and at their worst several shillings below The offering was 14,885, which included 2947 two-tooths. Good two-tooths made 85s to 104 s, good fouryear from 56s to 91s, second four-yehr price for the season, and good fiveyear made 49s to 635.

The demand for two-tooths apparent at Oxford was absent at Coalgate where young ewes, sold extremely erratically. The older ewes were more consistent, but were 2s to 3s below the moderate rates at Oxford. It was a disappointing end to the season. Good two-tooths made 75s to 975, good four-year 55s to 775, and good fiveyear 45s to 51s.

..Yields have generally been good on the Lincoln College farm this season. Two crops of Research barley have given 60 bushels and 48 bushels field dressed; a crop of pedigree Cross 7 gave 65 bushels, and a crop of Mother Gross 7 gave 72 bushels; a crop of Wflliam Massey peas yielded 26 bushels field dressed; a crop of mother HI ryegrass went 29 bushels machine dressed, two crops of pedigree white clover gave 501 b and 451 b, and a crop of volunteer white went 3601 b machine dressed.

Two-tooths 59.001 19,852 Aged Total ■i Addington 137,876 69,257 98,109 I Totals . 78,853 207,133 285,986 I 1953— | Fairs 52,209 121,139 173,388 | Addington 25,650 66,546 92,196 Totals . 77,859 187,725 265,584