$150,000 in three hours

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33814, 10 April 1975, Page 14

$150,000 in three hours

In three hours at Canterbury Court last evening 50 purebred Charolais and Charolais-eross cattle were sold for just short of $152,000 in the first Southern Hemisphere auction conducted by the New Zealand Charolais Cattle Society.

Most of the cattle were bought for Australia. Considering the downturn in the beef market, the sale was considered reasonably satisfactory—only about 14

head were not sold in the auction ring. What were described as full French Charolais heifers had the best of the sale. Fourteen out of 15 of these sold from $4600 to $9OOO, averaging $6321. The top price of $9OOO was paid for a heifer from A. K. Finlayson (Mossburn). It was bought for Australia. The Blythe Cattle Company (Kaiapoi) also received $B5OO, and Mount Peel station (Peel For- ; est) $8250. All five full French Charolais cows were passed in—-

one with a calf at foot at $7OOO. But a fifteensixteenths heifer from Southern Breeders, Ltd (Invercargill), was sold for $4lOO to Australia. Fifteen of the 16 full French Charolais bulls sold at prices ranging from $l7OO to $4700, averaging $2873. The Wynyard Charolais Partnership (Culverden) realised $4700 for one, and A. K. Finlayson had sales at $4400 and $4OOO.

For severteighths heifers the prices for eight ranged from $7OO to $1450 for one from Mount Peel station, and

the average for these cattle was $1197. Twelve three-quarter cows were sold from $250 to $l7OO, averaging $552. For a cow and calf R. G. Macdonald (Kaiapoi) received $l7OO. The president of the Charolais Society (Mr J. E. Austin, of Oxford) said before the sale began that it was probably the biggest assembly of full French' Charolais cattle in the Southern Hemisphere. The Mavor of Christchurch (Mr H. G. Hay) said it was the biggest auction of purebred exotic cattle held in Australia and New Zealand.