LITTLE RIVER EWE FAIR Young Romneys improve again

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32540, 25 February 1971, Page 13

LITTLE RIVER EWE FAIR Young Romneys improve again

Young Romney ewes sold better than last year at the Little River fair oh Tuesday, maintaining the firming trend at recent North Canterbury fairs for finer-wool ewes.

The sale was a better one than at Ashburton last Thursday when Romney twotooths were thought to have sold well at prices averaging about $1 to $1.50 per head behind last year’s rates. At Little River there was an average advance on last year of about 60c per head and quite apart from that sheep of comparable class looked to be selling better. .

The improvement in the market did not mean any return to the glamour prices for young Romneys of a few years ago. but it reversed the downward trend which set in again last year when sheep eased back by about 50c a head on 1969, when there was an advantage after two years of declining price levels.

There was plenty of evidence to show that the sale was a better one than a year ago. Last year more than half of the pens sold for less than $7. Yesterday only a trifling 16 or 17 out of 80 fell into this category. Whereas last year top money was only $8.90, yesterday prices went to more than $10.20 and there were eight sales at $9 or over and 25 at $8 or over. A comparison of 22 pens sold In Tuesday and 32 pens of the same vendors’ sheep sold last year indicates a rise this year of about 64c per head. The best of the Romneys sold between $8.60 and $9.40 with an odd sale to $10.20, good realised from about $7.70 to $8.50, average about $7 to $7.60, and others from $6 to $7. SMALLER ENTRY The supply of two-tooths was down on last year by more than 1000 head at 5830 but there was little outside competition and most of the offering went to local sources. A few sheep did, however, go to Ashburton and Oxford.

The top price of the. sale again went to J. R. Stanbury, who since the last fair has taken over the Springvale property. Whereas last year he topped the sale at $8.90, yesterday he carried the day at $10.20 for a magnificent pen of 100 well-grown Romney ewes, and he also had 100 at $9.80, two pens each with 100 in them at $9.40 and another 98 at $9 R. T. Masefield, of Akaroa, who last year made to $8.70, sold 60 on Tuesday at $9.90, and D. O. Masefield (Goughs Bay) realised $9.70 for 62—last year his best price was only $7.80. For 130 selling from $B.BO to $9.70 D. O. Masefield averaged $9.23, which was well up on his average of almost $7.60 last year for 112. For an impressive 999 ranging from $7.40 to the top money, J. R. Stanbury averaged $8.79 per head. Last year for 269 from Puaha he averaged almost $8.25 and 339 from Springvale averaged $B.lB. R. T. Masefield with 197 selling from $7.90 to $9.90 aver-

. aged $8.65, which was about 55c up on his figure for 194 a year ago. . Three vendors recorded averages of just in excess of $8 per head. E. S. Craw, of Chorlton, had an average of this order for 197 making from $7.80 to $8.50; R. R. Haylock, of Akaroa, had a similar average for 189 selling from $7.10 to $8.65; and J. B. Hay, of Glenralloch, averaged better than $8 for 229 making from $7.10 to $8.60. For 204 making from $7.55 to $8 the Knockindale Estate (Pigeon Bay) averaged $7.83 compared with $7.47 for 447 last, year. D. C. Hay, of Inveralloch, averaged $7.68 for 171 selling from $7.30 to $7.95. The estate J. T. L. Knight, of Lavericks Bay, were a few cents behind their average for 211 last year with 508 selling yesterday from $6.90 to $8.40 for an average of $7.48. , _ v G. J. Foley (Robinsons Bay) improved on his $7.66 average for 99 last year with 215 selling at an average of $7.77. Big line The Annandale Estate (Pigeon Bay) was again represented by a big line of sheep and for 999 selling from $6.55 to $8.70 their average was $7.46. which was 76c per head up on their figure for 1015 a year ago. The older ewe entry was down to a mere 203 compared with 440 last year. It included only two pens. A line of 178 three-shear Romneys from N. A. Fraser (Takamatua) sold for $6.05 each and a small lot of five-year-old ew’es were knocked down for $3.65 each. The following is a range of values for two-tooths, with figures for last year being shown for comparison: 1971 1970 $ * Best 8.60 to 10.20 8.00 to 8.90 Good 7.70 to 8.50 7.00 to 8.00 Average 7.00 to 7.60 6.00 to 7.00 Others 6.00 to 7.00 5.00 to 6.00 Details of sales were (sheep being Romneys unless otherwise stated): — TWO-TOOTH EWES Pyne, Gould, Guinness Ltd, sold on account of:— G. J. Foley, Robinsons Bay: 70 at $7.50. 55 at $7.10, 90 at $8.40. J. R. Stanbury, Springvale: 100 at $9.40, 98 at $8.60,110 at $B, 100 at $7.70, 102 at $7.40, 100 at $9.40, 100 at $10.20, 100 at $9.80, 98 at $9, 100 at $8.50. Estate J. T. L. Knight, Lavericks Bay: 100 at $7.20, 102 at $7.50, 100 at $7.40, 103 at $6.90, 103 at A. Fraser. Takamatua: 61 at $6.90, 86 at $7.80, 110 at $7.70, 47 at $7.30. Annandale Estate, Pigeon Bay: 77 at $7.30, 58 at $7.40, 100 at Grigg, Hickory Bay: 100 at $7.50, 60 at $7.60. P. T. Johnston, Le Bons Bay: 70 at $8.20. O. G. Jenkins, Port Levy: 51 at $7.40, 90 at $8.50. Estate E. W. Coop, Port Levy: 66 at $6.50, 32 at $6.40. Owenga Farm, Flea Bay: 66 at $6.70.

Estate S. Hall, Peraki: 70 at $6.70. I. C. Stanbury: Te Oka: 84 at $6.40. D. O. Masefield, Goughs Bay: 68 at $B.BO. C. E. Jenkins, Port Levy: 47 at $7.40. NMA Company of New Zealand, Ltd, sold on account of:— Kinloch Estate, Little River: 66 at $6.80, 54 at $6.20, 83 at $7.30. Estate E. Hay, Annandale: 51 at $7.30, 99 at $7.70, 65 at $7.80, 88 at $8.70. D. C. Hay, Inveralloch: 56 at $7.30, 55 at $7.75, 60 at $7.80. J. B. Hay, Glenralloch: 74 at $7.90. 60 at $8.60, 71 at $7.90, 24 nt $7.10. E. S. Craw. Chorlton: 70 at $7.80, 70 at $8.50, 57 at $B. R. T. Masefield: Akaroa: 69 at $8.30, 68 at $7.90, 60 at $9.90. H. P. Hamilton, Akaroa: 58 at $7.60. R. R. Haylock, Akaroa: 54 at $7.10, 75 at $8.20. D. O. Masefield: 62 at $9.70. B. E. Goodwin, Pigeon Bay: 36 at $9. Dalgety New Zealand, Ltd, sold on account of:— R. R. Turpin and Son, Port Levy: 73 at $6.95, 95 at $7.80. Annandale Estate: 51 at $7.05, 106 at $7.30, 50 at $6.55. H. P. Hamilton, Onuku: 96 at $B. N. Davidson, Te Oka: 48 shorn at $7.80. New Zealand Farmers' Cooperative Association sold on account of:— x Annandale Estate: 106 at $6.80, 101 at $7.55, 47 at $7.20. Knockindale Estate, Pigeon Bay: 113 at $7.55, 93 at $B. R. R. Haylock: 60 at $8.65. H. P. Hamilton: 20 at $5.40. Dalgety New Zealand, Ltd, and the New Zealand Farmers' Co-operative Association, sold on account of:— E. Thomson, Halkett: 55 at $6.70. OLDER EWES New Zealand Farmers' Cooperative Association, Ltd, sold on account of:— N. A. Fraser: 178 three-shear ewes at $6.05.