Ewe prices up at Tinwald fair

Press, 26 February 1977, Page 3

Ewe prices up at Tinwald fair

: Border-Romney ewes topped I the $2O mark when the Ashburton County breeders’ adult ewe [fair was held at Tinwald yesterday. Otherwise the best of i the Romney and fine wool ewes i sold to a fraction over $l7. j More than half of the annual [draft ewes sold between about M2 and $l5. and compared with (last year’s fair, prices looked to !be about $3 to $5 better on average. Border-Romneys and Coopworths were In demand from South Canterbury as well as MidCanterbury and sold well as a consequence, but there was only a limited selection. Tire fewpens of younger ewes among the Romneys also met a sound sale, but the finer wool ewes perhaps had the most difficult lend of the market. I The offering at 14.833 beadincluding 10,952 annual draft ewes. 313 four-vear-olds, 963 five-vear-olds, 254 four and five-year-olds and 2351 younger ewes—was not a large one for the fair and was back almost 5000 on last year. In general, stock came forward in good condition. The sale opened in light rain on a weakish note, but it seemed to gain ground when some of the recognised Vnes were reached. The rain d’d not last for long and the sale was followed bv a moderate gallery The highest price for the older ewes was $24 na’d for 153 four-'•ear-old wool I '-’ from J D. Roberts- (Me.thvenl. Tire only other pen of sheep carded as four-vear-olds came from Inverarv Station 'Mount I Somers). Comprising 160 la+e [shorn balfhreds. it realised $l3. last ve»r sheen of this age from th" station brought to $ll 60. * Five-year-old Romney and Bor-

der-Romneys in four pens I brought from $13.40 to 515.60. This was about S 3 to §4 better than last year. A. A. and R. S. Grigg (Alford Forest) received $15.60 for 145 Romneys and K. C. Jackson (Lowecliffei had a sale of 154 late shorn sheep for $l5. There were two pens of fine wool ewes in this age group. Inverary Station sold 108 halfbreds at sl4.3o—up about 53.70 on last year—and A. G McLaren (Hindsi was up more than S 4 on last year with a sale of 106 Corriedales at Sl4. Out of a handful of four and five-year-blds, X. S. Steel sold 148 Bordner-Romneys for 517.50. Tile bulk of rhe selection was carded as annua] draft ewes and here the top money was $20.75 for Border-Romneys; Coooworths and Border-Romneys brought from $ll to 520.75. The sale at the top money was made by G. N. Grigg (Glengyle) for 144 and he had another 109 Rorder-Rom-nevs which realised Sl7 The best of the Romneys, many of which were late shorn, brought from about $l4 to $17.20, with others ranging down to about $lO. The better sheep were about $4 tn $5 up on last year. R. C. Batchelor (Lincoln Hills), who realised to $11.50 a year ago, showed a considerable improvement, on this occasion with 257 Romney Cross. without much wool on them, making $17.20, and another 140 nne vear ewes soM for him reached $l6. The estate W. S Greenslade (Montalto) sold 95 Remnevs for $16.75 and another 7$ for $16.50- - last year they made to $l2 _»0. D B. Howden (Mayfield) also nad 135 late shorn Romneys at $l6. Most of the 'annual draft fine wool ewes sold from abotn $ll tn $15.25. with an odd sale tn $17.25 The latte* pricn was paid •’or 206 wholly Cnrr’odale*- from Double H ; ’l Station fßakaia Gorge'. R. •’ Wr’<*ht d.vnmonr) n’en sold 3“ n Cnr*iedale«' for $l5 25 and Havdon Fann Westerfield-) 130 half bred for $l5. For 270 annua] draft threequarterbreds K. J. Wright (Westerfield) also received 517.25. Younger ewes ranged up to $25 for 350 late shorn three-shear Coopworths from Riverside Farm (Methvenj. The second cut of 254 sold for $24. Last year twoshear sheep from the farm brought to $l6. J. C. Talbot (Meth ven) also sold 168 three-shear lau 'mrn Romneys for $20.20 and J Wilson (Hinds), 93 two-she; mnevs for $20.10. The yoi.it’ le wool ewes made to $1 or 180 late shorn two-she wriedales from the Black' ‘ation <Rakaia Gorge). While the bulk of t' ep went to local destinatio *re was also buying intrest T irfield and Leeston in t’ th to South Canterbury