Better sale for wool rams

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33455, 9 February 1974, Page 3

Better sale for wool rams

'Hie lone of lhe market improved greatly on the second day of the Canterbury flock rain fair at the Showgrounds, Addington, yesterday. Whereas less than 31 per cent of the mutton-breed rams offered on Thursday found a buyer at auction, yesterday 74 per cent of the 694 wool-breed rams were sold. The Corriedales — more than 89 per cent were sold — and the Border Leicesters — almost an 88 per cent clearance at auction — must have almost set a record for a fair. Corriedale prices on average rose more than 76 per cent on last year’s sale. Values for Border Leicesters were also up about 65 per cent. Romneys were dearer by 13 to 14 per cent, but they did not have as good a clearance as the other two breeds. However, the top price of the day. $270, was paid for a Romney. Corriedales In the Corriedale section it seemed that the law of supply and demand was applying. Tile export trade to South America has removed many rants from the market—one big vendor had only about half of his usual number in yesterday. The catalogued offering was down about half on last year’s fair. With a large gallery in attendance, including buyers front outside the province, the sale was strong, and improved as it went along. In the first run, when 144 sires i were offered, there was an 871 per cent clearance at auction, and the average price was close to 563.

In tiie second run. with 106 rams forward, only nine did not sell at auction and the average improved to almost $B5, putting the average for the sale about $72.30. which was about 76 per cent up on last year’s $4l. Even last year, when less than half of the offering sold at auction. the average was $14.50 up on 1972. Over the whole sale more than 89 per cent of the rams sold at auction. A number of pens, particularly in the second half of the sale, managed to reach or better $lOO. The four rams in the first pen of the day sold for $l2O each. In the closing minutes of the sale $l5O was readied twice, the A. .1. Withell Family Trust i Brookside) buying one ram from F. C. Ridgen and Company (Greendale) for that figure; and ■subsequently G. W. Ashworth and Son (Sefton) paid $l5O for four from A. E. Cross and Company (Horrelville). The Cross Corriedales again set the top average for the ■breed. With 35 selling from $55 to 150. they averaged almost SIOI. compared with $63 for 22 last year, when they also topped the averages. Selling six from $72.50 to $9O, R. H. Branch (Ashburton) averaged $B4. and with seven making from $BO to $B5 F. E. Booker (Hawarden) averaged $B3. Hight Brothers (Hororata), with 13 from -$55 to SlO5. averaged more than 577. Next in order was F. C. Ridgen and Company, selling 73 from $42.50 to $l5O ■and averaging better than $76. (Robert Reid and Sons. Ltd. (Dar- ■ field :■ averaged $72, with 21 realising from $4O to $135; and J. K. Fincham (Hawarden), with 15 selling from S4O to $BO a’, eri aged a little more than $63. .With 20 ranging from $47.50 to $55 P. N. Martin (Seafield) averaged almost $52. On average the best of the Corriedales made from about $lOO to $l5O. good 575 to $lOO. average to good $5O to S7O. and , others $35 to $47.50. A few of the selection went to Central Otago. Border Leicesters The Boarder Leicesters met aj steady. If not a spectacular sale,: some outside inquiry giving! valuable support to the market.' It w as a big improvement on lhe 1

i sale of a year ago when only a, t little over a quarter of a much » bigger offering was sold at auc-1 ; tion. t Yesterdav. in the first run out - of 70 rams, only two were' passed in at auction. The aver-1 i age price for these was a little: more than $45. In the second; . run, when there was a clearance j of 45 of 59 rams, the average! > was 544. ; Over the two runs 113 rams,, representing almost 88 per cent ■ . of the selection, averaged better! than $44.50. an improvement of, ’ about $17.50 or about 6a per; i cent on the fair a year ago. At ; last 'year’s fair Border Leicester I values slumped about 2a pel, ; cent on earlier rates ( , The top price of the section| •was $B5 for one from R. W.. 1 Campbell (Christchurch . The . buver was D. Hussey (Sheffield). | 1 One of the best averages of! ! the dav was set by P. H. Letham: (Lauris’ton), 18 selling from $4O , ' to $65 and averaging $54.50. A.( , W. Low (Methven) averaged, , better than $53 for six making; I from $45 to $65; and R. M.; I Wallace (Rangiora) with 17 max-( , ing from S4O to $65 averaged Sal. | R. W. Campbell averaged $5O for] five making from $4O to $B5. j The pick of the Border rains; ’ made from about _ $6O to sBa, ‘ average to good $45 to $6O, and; • others $3O to $45. . Romneys ", For the second successive year; .■Romneys met a reasonably good; ) I inquiry, although much of the .[sale was patchy. The entry in-! -I eluded a good representation of i II Southland sheep, which generally'; I (met the best demand. II It was often a disappointing I •Isale for some regular Canter- ■' bury vendors. However, there: iiwas" a useful inquiry after the ■isale for some of the passed-ini I lots. ’: Although the upset bid was, ■ $2O, only one pen of Romneys: ■'was sold at less than $4O. The Ldecision by vendors to stick to; ■ a uniform reserve must have, • | helped to maintain prices. ; The clearance at auction was i lower than last year, but, the l ‘average price was better. From I [the offering of 290 rams. 165 11 found buyers at auction for an; . average of $66. Last year, 1751 ; rams from an offering of 2571 'were sold for an average of $58.: ‘ Y’esterday’s fair showed a

stronger trend during Hie second run, and, with 50 lots to sell, (showed a noticeable quickening. ■However, this was partly because! of the standard of Hie offering: at that stage. Over the final; race there was more than the 'usual number of single lots, including some much better than! (average sheep. I Of 187 rams offered in the first run, 96 were sold for an average l lot $6l. In the second run, 69; ■(were sold from an offering of (103, and the average lifted to; ($7O. I The top price was $270 for (a single sheep from J. D. and (W. T. Robertson, of Gore. Fori j 29 rams selling from S6O to the; (top price, those vendors aver-; (aged $lO3. j Another Southland vendor, C. IR. Humphries and Company. Isold 31 lots at $45 to $95, averagling $69. I Of the Canterbury vendors. C. ;Burrows (Culverden), sold 15 at, ‘s4o to $lO5. averaging $64; L. (E. Taylor (View Hill), 13 at s4oj Ito $BO, averaging $50.70; Mereoak(Farm lAshburton), 9 at $5O to, ($lOO. averaging $72; O. R. Cham-i jberlain and Sons i Ellesmere), j (seven at $4O to $75, averaging! ($6O; S. L. and B. E. Chambers! ( i Southbridge), 10 at $35 to $75, ( averaging 556: estate E. S. Taylor; l (Woodend), 11 at S4O to s6o,' (averaging $44.50; W. J. and M.; :D. Symes (Ashburton), six at s4o' ;to $B5, averaging $64; A. .1. and: ’D. K. Mackenzie (Ealing), five ; lat $4O to $125, averaging s7o;’ ‘and M. ,1. McLaren (Ashburton).! (eight at $4O to $65, averaging! ($47.50. (English Leicesters I Fifty-two per cent of the 25 'English Leicesters offered found! a buyer at auction. There was a! fairly restricted inquiry for these; ‘ rams and average price was a •shade under $3O. Robert Reid and Sons, Ltd.' sold two at $35 and $4O; P. S. iNorthcote (Waiau), five from $27.50 to $3O: W. J. and M. D. • Symes iMethvem. five at $27.50; iand the estate E. S. Taylor! '(Woodend), one at $3O. I Six Cheviots were catalogued! but they did not come forward for sale. j