ADDINGTON MARKET Big decline in store cattle values

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33215, 3 May 1973, Page 18

ADDINGTON MARKET Big decline in store cattle values

Store cattle values reached their lowest ebb of the season at the Addington market yesterday. Only a small number of breeding cows fetched more than $llO.

A small gallery fol-i lowed the sale, and but for some competition' from the West Coast, the market would have been worse. Senior agents had to look back several years to recall a ]K)orer sale.

Store lambs, in contrast to the cattle sale, met a steady, inquiry, and values were! firmer on those paid at the: last comparable sale a fortnight ago. A limited offering of breeding ewes also met a fair inquiry. Store lambs In view of the poor feed prospects ahead, a yardin< of 3200 store lambs had quite a good | sale. The yarding included a small selection of forward lambs.' but there was also a large pro-! portion of lambs in very light: condition. Most of the entry l were summer-shorn. Although the buying gallery: was not large, inquiry was much better than expected, and I for the general class of lamb: on offer, the market appeared a little stronger on the last. comparable market two weeks: ago Under competition from freez-| Ing company buyers, the best of' the forward woolly lambs' reached *lO, and there were: several sales at more than $B. '

However, most of the summershorn lambs in light condition ranged from $4.50 to $6, with medium summer-shorn to $7.20.

Very few attractive pens of ■ ewe lambs were included. Like! the wether lamb section, most I were summer-shorn, and in very, light order. The best of three' pens of woolly Corriedales | reached $lO. and the summershorn Romneys *10.60. Others sold at wether lamb price. Sales of store lambs j included:— Wethers: Estate I. O. Buchanan iHororata), 81 halfbreds at $7.70: to $8.25; estate G. H. Dalglish, Le Bons Bay), 120 Romneys at i 54.90 to $8.10; R. C. Webb 'Mandeville), 117 Corriedales at l $9. Ewes: W. B. Kellock iHororata:, 94 shorn Romneys at $8.10; :J. D. Shearer (Okuku). 50 shorn Romneys at $8.75; R. K. Craw i Pigeon Bay I, 68 shorn Romneys: at $9 to $10.60. Breeding ewes Two-tooths made up the bulk: of an entry of 800 breeding ewes, and they had a reasonably good sale. Three pens of Corriedales ranged from $13.90 to $l7, and two pens of Romneys each fetched $l6. In the adult sheep section, a pen of sound-mouthed Corriedales, not carrying a great deal -of wool, fetched $11.30. Sales of breeding ewes , included:— Brown Brothers (Kaituna), 96 , two-tooth Romneys, mated to Southdown rams, at $l6. Store cattle The store cattle yarding, at 1200 head, was the largest for a month. It included a large selection of breeding cows, but there was also a fair entry of steers. Most of the cattle were in light order, and with one or two exceptions, they showed a marked decline on recent rates.

It was. in fact, the poorest sale of store cattle at Addington for a long time. Dairy-bred steers were virtually unwanted, and even some of the beef-bred steers changed hands at below store calf price. With the exception of a few pens, breeding cows had a much harder sale at values about $l5 back on last week’s rates. The best of four pens of Angus from a well-regarded North Canterbury herd fetched $159. but this was a fairly isolated sale, as not many cows reached the $llO mark. Average Angus and Herefords. tested in calf, ranged from $95 to $lO5. and lighter-framed cows at $BO to $9O. Empty cows, in good, forward condition, reached $lll. The best of a small selection of in-calf heifers reached $163, i but as in the breeding cow section, this was an isolated price, as few of the remainder fetched more than $l2O. Steers had a very poor sale. There were times when the market seemed in a virtual state of collapse. A limited selection of forward steers drew fair comS tition. but young steers and ose in light condition were hard to quit. Values were a steady $lO to $l2 easier, and in the case of plainer cattle, the decline was greater. Included in the yarding was a line of 130 15-month-old steers from a West Coast development block, but they had a hard sale. The best pen reached $B4, at which it was not calf price. A small selection of 20-month-old steers sold at $ll5 to $125. with an odd sale to $132, but most sales ranged from $9O to $lO5, and others in low condition sold at $6O to $BO. Friesians sold from $5O to $B5. Sales of store cattle in-: eluded:— Steers: Lands and Survey Department (Lake Arthur), 24 18-month-old Herefords at $lO9 to $114.50; Aitken Little Pigeon Bay Estate (Pigeon Bay), 46 2J-year-old Angus at $ll3 to $138; T. Van Der Stap (Little River), 13 2-1-year-oid Angus cross at $124: Mr McNaughton (Springfield), 10 21-year-old Herefords at $120; Milmore Downs (Scargill), 14 2}-year-old Angus cross at $132. Cows and heifers: J. G. and E. Scott (Te Plrita). 19 in-calf Angus and Hereford cows at $lOl to $103; R. Chaffey (Seddon), 18 Incalf Hereford cows at $121; 14 in-calf Angus cows at $ll2 to $115; M. M. Toms (Seddon), 34 in-calf Friesian cows at $Bl to $92; estate R. L. Jameson (Cuiverden), 36 Angus cows, tested-In-calf, at $122 to $159; O. G. Jenkins (Port Levy), 8 21-year-old Herefords, tested-in-calf, at $163; R. W. Shepherd (Scargill), 24 Hereford cows, tasted-in-calf, at $92 to $lO6.