Values realistic at Coalgate fair

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33154, 19 February 1973, Page 17

Values realistic at Coalgate fair

Although vendors at the Coalgate ewe fair yesterday had their best sale for years, the level of values was generally fairly realistic, considering the strength of the wool and mutton markets.

There was no evidence of buyers embarking on a “big spend.’’ In fact, one of the i over-riding aspects of the j fair was the very reasonable cost of making replacements. This was particularly, evident in the adult ewe sale, where some pens, considering the wool they were carrying, ’ would barely have been up to freezing rates. Even so, It was a good day for vendors. Those who sold twotooths obtained more than twice as much as they did last year and the vendors of adult ewes '■ obtained a lift of 150 per cent. SMALL YARDING At 7420, compared with 9000 last year, the yarding was small. It consisted of 2800 two-tooths and 4620 adult ewes. They were in very good order. Unlike the Tinwald fair the previous day, the $2O mark for two-tooths was not reached. The' top price was $19.90 from 168 early-shorn Romneys from A. L. Pearce, of Hororata. The same vendor had sales at $19.80, $l9 and $15.70, giving him a pen average of $18.60. Last year, Mr Pearce topped the fair with a pen at $8.35. A. W. Trolove (Sheffield) sold 194 Romneys in two lots at $lB. which was almost $lO better than last year. Terrace Station (Hororata) received $lB for the tops of 203 Border-Romneys. The others ranged from $l6 to $16.80. A survey of 17 pens of twotooths, compared with 20 pensj ’ from the same vendors last year, ■ gave an improvement of $8.85, 5 which was a lift of more than 1 100 per cent. The best of the two-tooths — both Romney and open-headed breeds—sold from $17.50 to $l9, ; with odd sales to $19.90, medium from $l5 to $l7 and late-shorn or smaller at $l2 to 14.

ADULT SHEEP Although the adult ewe market was far from buoyant, considering the value of cull ewes, it fairly reflected the improvement that has taken place in the livestock world in the last few’ months.

Compared with the fair last year, prices were 150 per cent better. A survey of 14 pens of ewes, compared with 14 from the same vendors last year, showed an improvement of $7.65. A good proportion of the yarding had been early shorn, and they drew good competition. Miss E. E. Richards, of Hororata, obtained the top price with a pen of 155 early shorn four-year-olds at $14.20. She had a further sale of a smaller pen at $l4.

Rockw’ood Farm (Hororata) obtained $13.90 for 148 early shorn four-year-olds, and $12.10 for 274 early shorn five-year-old ewes. F. D. Richards, of Glenroy, who led the adult sheep section last year with a sale at $6.05, received $13.70 for 148 early shorn i four-year-old ew’es, and $13.60 for a pen of 167 similar ewes. Mr Richards obtained the best price for five-year-old ewes with a sale of 120 early shorn ewes at $12.80. He also sold a further 194 at $12.20.

Other sales of annual lines included:—

T. S. Newman (Hororata), 201 annual draft ewes, shorn, at $13.40: R. G. Deans (Homebush), 184 shorn four-year-olds at $l3; A. F. McArthur and Sons (Whitecliffs), 171 shorn four and five-year-old ewes at $l2; F. D. H. ‘Gray (Hororata), 212 shorn annual draft ewes at $11.50; W. M. Deans and Son (Darfield), 421 early shorn five-year-olds at $11.60.

Farmers from local districts and dow r n country again took a considerable share of the yarding. Other sheep were bought for the Rangiora district, Oxford, 1 Methven, and South Canterbury.