WOOL SALE AT AUCKLAND

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28794, 15 January 1959, Page 12

WOOL SALE AT AUCKLAND

Good Styles Firm

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, January 14. More than £lm worth of wool changed hands today when the second main Auckland sale of the season began at the Town Hall concert chamber. Values for good style fleece wool and oddments were firm on recent Wanganui levels, but inferior and off-colour wools were up to &d per lb easier. From the outset the sale had a strong tone and this was maintained until selling for the day finished shortly after 3.30 p.m. The average price for all wools was estimated at 33d per lb or £46 10s for a 3401 b bale. Compared with the first sale here in November, the stronger crossbreds were quoted as a shade dearer with fine wools cheaper and other wools on a par. If these prices are maintained for another month the market could be regarded as reasonably stable at the lower levels ruling this season.

The total offering for the sale, which will be continued on Friday, is 48,634 bales, the biggest yet at a two-day sale in Auckland.

Today’s offering of 23,604 bales consisted of ewe and wether wools with more hogget wool than usual and a small quantity of lambs’ wool. A large proportion of the wool was second shear—shorn in November after the sheep had been shorn in April and March—and much of it was inclined to be tender and short in the staple. Although there were some nice fleece wools offering the wool generally tended to be off-colour. This was a reflection of the broken w.eather at shearing time. Competition From Continent Bidding was keen when the sale started at 8.30 a.m., but competition throughout the day was mainly confined to buyers operating for Continental merchant houses. Bradford lent some support to the market, but did not take a large proportion of the wool.

Buyers for the American trade were far less active than at previous sales and in consequence the market for coarse carpel wools was markedly easier than at Wanganui. Japan did not appear to be interested and Red China, which bought freely early in the season at Dunedin, was not bidding today. A measure of the strength of the sale was that the New Zealand Wool Commission, which earlier in the season bought a large percentage of the wool, was comparatively seldom called upon to support the market In the first catalogue of 11,960 bales the commission bid on only 7J per cent, of the wool. Top price of the sale came late in the afternoon when four bales of halfbred hogget wool from Ponui Island were sold at 46£d per lb. The wool was sold after the Wool Commission had entered a bid well in advance of the starting level. Bellies, necks and other oddments were , in surprisingly, ..keen demand considering the discoloured nature of the wool. Range of Prices The following is the official range of prices:— Southdown, 58-60’s—-d. d.

Good .. .. 44 to 48 Average .. « to 434 Inferior .. .. 32 to 36 Fine Down Cross 58, G^ 58,S - .. ..42 to. 44 £» :: " IS 5‘ Extra Fine Crossbred. SB’s— Good .. .. 391 to 41 Average-good .. 361 to 38 Average .. ..33 to 35 Extra Fine Crossbred. 50-56’s Good •• ••■S, !° Average-good . - 361 to 37} Average .. •• 33} to 35 Extra Fine Crossbred. 52’s— Good • •• 37 to 38 Average-good .. 35} to 36} Average .. .. 33 to 34} Fine Crossbred, 50’s— Good • • . ~ 37 to 38 Average-good .. 35} to 36} Average- .. • • 33} to 34} Medium Crossbred. 4850’s— Good .. .. 37 to 38 Average-good .. 35} to 36} Average .. .. 33 to 34 Medium Crossbred. 46-50 s Good .. .. 36} to 37} Average-good •• 35 to 36 Average .. .. 33 to 34 Coarse Crossbred, 46-48 s Good .. .. 36 to 38 Average-good .. 35 to 36 Average • • 32} to 33} Necks Crossbred, 50-48-50’s — Good—average .. 33 to 35 Average . - .. 31 to 32} Inferior .. .. 26 to 29 Pieces Crossbred, 46-50’s Average .. .. 27 to 29 Inferior .. 23 to 26 Bellies Crossbred, 46-50’s Average ~ .. 23 to 25 Inferior .. .. 20 to 22 Locks Crossbred, 46-50’s—--14 to 17 Lambs Crossbred, 50, 48-50’s Good .. .. 33 to 35 Average .. .. 28 to 31 Inferior .. .. 24 to 27 Seedy .. .. 20 to 23}

AUSTRALIAN WOOL SALES

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright» SYDNEY, January 14. Values for most descriptions of Merino fleece and skirtings were generally firm on yesterday’s rates at the Sydney wool sales today, although broader quality Merino fleece barely maintained yesterday’s level. Comebacks and crossbreds were firm. There was a clearance of 16,764 of the 17,159 bales offered, with widespread competition, headed by Japan, the United Kingdom, the Continent, and some Australian mills. Crossbred prices:—Good, 60’s, 545; good to super, 58’s, 57d; good, 58’s, 55d. Geelong Sale Under strong competition, values at the Geelong sales remained firm on overnight levels, and any change was in sellers’ favour. There was a 98 per cent, clearance of the 15,100 bales offered. The increased selection of comebacks and crossbreds today showed the effects of the adverse season. Chief buyers were the Continent and local mills, supported by the United Kingdom, with limited interest from Japan. Crossbred prices:—Good to super, 60/64’s, 645; good to super, 60’s, 60d; good to super, 58’s, 58d; good to super, 56’s, 55d; good to super, 50’s. 52d. _____