Lambs fully firm while cattle improve further

Press, 25 August 1976, Page 19

Lambs fully firm while cattle improve further

Prime stock xalues were fulh | firm or, in the case of cattle. I made a further improvement at; the Addington Market yesterday.! But the market was not with-! out its "urprises. When it was learned that the Driver's Union had voted for a week's strike, the market came to an abrupt Hop while carriers and drivers decided whether the union action would allow them to clear tile yards. Fortunately for. vendors and buvers, a decision was made to deliver stock to its destination »fter the sale. Selling was then resumed. ProbabL because of the threat r*f a strike, '•ardings were generally smaller than usual. For those vendors who decided to take the risk and send stock for- ” ard. it was a very good day. Prime lamb? After an easier start to the •aie. the prime lamb market became fully firm ou last weeks very good rates. The yarding v.as 1450. compared with 1760 last week, and quality was a shade better. During tne earlv stages of the sale, values were running at about $2 a head below last week’s rates, but as competition built up. values became fully firm. At the best of the sale, some lambs were probably a dollar a head better. Sales at $25 or better were frequent. Values were:— Extra-heavv lambs, to $26. Prime heavy $22 to $24.50. Light iambs. $lB to $2l. Best late-shorn lambs, to $22. Medium late-shorn, $18.50 to $20.50. Leading sales of prime lambs Included:— T. W. Tyson ‘Springstoni. 76 at *2O to $22: A. S. Lewis 'Woodend). 9 at $21.40 to $22.30: G. Amyes and Son t Leestun). 11 at $2O to $20.90: J. McPherson /Cheviot) 8 shorn at $20.50 to $22; R. F. Whitham /Weedons». 40 at *l9 to $21.60: A. J. Lili -Methven.. 90 at $19.10 to $25.90H. J. Ha**ri«on <Raka'a», 14 at $22 t o $25.40; M H M«llnv <M*thven«. 70 at $lB to $21.30: Hunley Graving (Bussiey) 8 at r>sso to $25.80: M. D Poster (Rakaiai, 40 at SlB to $20.20; F. J. .Waterfield). 89 at $l5 to $25.60: Lili Brothers (Methven*. 112 at $23 to $25: J. J. Burrow* i Ashburton). 36 at $l9 60 to $20.80- J. D Green (Darfiold). 43 at $l4 tn $16.60; I. H. Winrhpcte- 'Lakeside*. 4 at $24.20: Z’ TV 45 C 02.10 to $25.30: Seaton Brothers

[■Courtenay>. 6 at $21.80; C. A. i land M. D. Maw Rakaia', 50 ai |516.10 to $19.40; C. Meredith i(Springstom. 27 at $18.30 to i $19.30; L. Lancaster -Springston'. 15 at $22.40 to $23.20. Prime -beep Prime sheep had another good I sale. aithougn vatues were not as strong as lasi week, when luumoers were very small. The yarding was 925 compared with [640 lasi sate, and ewes accounted I tor more than yy per cent of the i yarding. Many of them were* [carrying eight to nine months’ growth of wool. ■ Compared with last sale, ‘values were running at $1.50 a J head easier. , Values were:— [ I’our-tooth ewes, woolly. $ll to $15.20. Adult ewes, woolly $9.20 to' i $11.50. . Best shorn ewes, to $9.30. Medium shorn ewes. $7.40 to $B. Leading sales of prime sheep included:— Adult ewes: J. M. Le Compte ■ West Meltoni, 13 four-tooths at 511..90 to $12.60: L. A. Fronting 'Sandy Knolls). 12 woolly at $9.40 to $9.80; W. E. Moorhead and Son (Southbridge) 24 woolly at $9.20 to $10.30: B. S. and R. C. Kingsbury’ (Springbank), 22 woolly at $9.20 to $10.60; J. JW. Le Compte (West Melton), 38 clean-shorn at $7.40 to .$8; J. B. McMillan (Fernside), 24 woolly at $9.10 to $10; H. J. Harrison i Rakaia). 38 woolly at $lO to $12.30: B. McHugh (Ohoka), 25 woolly at $9.10 to $9.60; Burnt Hill Farm (Oxford) 53 woolly' at $8 to $10.10; C. W. Powell ■ Brookside). 39 at $10.60 to $12.10; A. E. Maindonald 'Fern- ! side*. 30 woolly’ at $10.60 to 1512.70: N. S. Mackie (Rakaia*, 23 woollv at $9.10 to $12.10; R. G. •A. Gardiner (Amberley), fourj tooths at 515.20; O. R. and A. iM. Chamberlain (Ellesmere). 35 voollv at $9 to $11.80: W. R. Haler iPo’-t Lew) 8 woollv al $11.40 to $12.10. 21 unnlh- fnuri tooths at $lO 60 tn $13.10: Lowerv ! Brothers *’T eesMn). 43 woollv al to $11.60; M. W. Patterson hLakeside). 8 woollv at $ll.lO. Store sheep The feature of the store sheep section was the sale of some Border-Corriedale ewe hoggets at $24.60. Clearly it reflected the optimism prevailing on the wool and lamb markets in the new season.

! The hogget yarding was very small and apart from the .sale of the main line of ewe hoggets, the only sales of note were two pens of Romney and Romneycross wether hoggets, shorn as lambs, at $15.10 to $15.90. A small yarding of breeding , ewes had a firm sale. Romneys on the point of lambing again reached $l5: some two-tooth ewes, due to Down rams, realised $19.70. and good woolly ewes with lambs at foot fetched up to $9 all counted. Shorn ewes, also with lambs at Coot, ranged from $6.80 to $7 ail counted. I Sales of store sheep included: ; G. L. Sandry t Burnham). 130 : shorn ewes with 150 lambs at ‘foot at $6.80 to $7 all counted; :A. J. L. Button 'Ohoka l . 102 Border-Con iedale ewe hoggets | at $24.60. Prime cattle Prime values continued to strengthen, largely because of the very small entry. At 248 head, the yarding was anything up to 200 below’ requirements. However, some vendors were probably influenced not to send cattle forward because of the threat of the drivers’ strike. Compared with last sale, light to medium steers improved by $8 to $lO, and a small selection of heavy-weights remained firm. Heifers improved by $7 to $B, and the cow market was fully firm. For the class of cattle on offer, it was a most satisfactory ' sale for vendors. I Heavy steer beef sold at $25 to $26.50 per 1001 b (55c to 58.5 c |a kg), medium-weight at $27.50 i to $29.50 (60.5 c to 64.5 c a kg), i and light-weight at $3O to $32 h66c to 71c a kg), heifer beef at $27 to $28.50 <59.5c to 63c a kg), and cow- beef at $l9 to $2O (42c to 44c a kg). Values were:— Prime heavy steers, to $2OO. Medium steers. $165 to $lBO. Light steers. $145 to $l6O. Other steers, $125 to $l4O. Top-weight heifers, to $l4B. Medium heifers, $l2O to $135. Light heifers, $9O to $ll5. Butchers’ cows, to $l3B. Medium cows. $llO to $l2O. Boner cows, $75 to $lOO. Leading sales of prime cattle; included;— Steers: J. T. Robertson (White-' rock), 10 at $163 to $194; A, McLean (Omihi), 8 at $l4l t,o $163; E. J. Allen (Okuku), 2 at $191; J. A. Allen (Okuku*, 2 at $193 to $196; J. and R. Andrew (Motunau), 5 at $163; L. G. Thomas (Russell’s Flat), 2 at $193 to $196; F. A. Field (Robinson's Bay), 9 at $172 to $196. Heifers: J. K. Atkinson (Oxford), 12 at $ll3 to $120; J. and R. Andrew (Motunau), 10 at $146 to $152; A. S. Kyle (Templeton), 18 at $124 to $138; Kaiapoi Cattle Company (Kaiapoi), 7 at $ll6 to $132; L. G. Thomas (Russell's Fiat), 7 at $ll7 to $122. Cows: J. R. Inch (Hororata*, 3 at $96 to $134; Mrs C. Morriss (Waikuku), 1 at $l3B. Store cattle The store cattle entry, at about) 100 head, was one of the! smallest of the winter, but it! reflected the steady rise in prime; beef prices. The principal .sales included; some forward two-year-old Angus and Angus-cross steers at $l2Ol to $142, and small rising two-; .vear-old cattle at $B6 to $39. i Rising yearling steers sold to I

$7O. In all respects it was a; very satisfactory sale again: indicating that the prospects for: spring cattle are good Dairy cattle Dairy cattle prices ’-emained; in line with those being paid) for boner cows. Ths best of the) entry of both cows and heifers] sold at 5126 to $136. with plainer) lots suitable for foster rearing! at $7O to $9O. Vealeis Vealers sold well, largely be-: cause of the very small entry — 57 head. Most of them were; large calves, which sold at $65 to $75. with a few larger young cattle to $147. On hook weight, good veal was fetching $3O per 1001 b. Fat pigs A small yarding of good quality fat pigs met a firm inquiry. The yarding was one of the smallest of the season. Values were: — Light porkers, to s*l6. Medium porkers, $46.50 to $5l. Heavy porkers and light baconers, $52 to $6l. ) Medium baconers, $6l to $66. i Extra-heavy' pigs, to $76. i Choppers, to $7O. Store pigs A very small yarding of store pigs had a firm sale on last week’s rates. Quality was quite good. The only quotable sale of breeding stock was a secondlitter sow’ at $165. Values were;— Small weaners, Sl5 to $2l. Good weaners. $21.50 to $25.50. Slips and small stores, $26 to Medium stores, $32 to $39. Large stores, to $45.50.