Selective buying at Cheviot sale

Press, 15 July 1980, Page 19

Selective buying at Cheviot sale

For the second successive year, the Cheviot bull sale has been affected by limited buying power. Reduced cow numbers in North Canterbury meant that buyers at the sale were more selective than in previous years. The offering at Cheviot was reduced to 50, compared with 69 last year. However, as indicated by the 17 passings at this year’s sale, demand was not there. Several of the bulls passed in were of excellent quality and on other occasions would have realised the vendor’s expectations.

The sale received a lot of sup port last year from local buyers, but this year they were over shadowed. Other North Canterbury districts were well represented and several bulls went to the West Coast and MidCanterbury.

The 27 Hereford bulls sold at auction averaged $961, and the six Angus averaged $9OO. The top Hereford price was $lBOO, paid bv the Lands and Survey Department at Turlmoana for a bull offered by P. D. H. Bush (Parnassus!. Mr Bush topped this year’s averages, selling 15 of his polled Herefords for between $6OO and $lBOO, an average of $lO4O. His average for 15 sales last year was $826.

All the Angus bulls were offered by D. S. Latter (Cheviot). He sold seven between $6OO and $l6OO at an average of $857. His average last year was $913 for 11. Mr Latter’s top-priced bull went to I. Irwin (Cheviot).

J. D. Caldwell and Son (Cheviot), who sold the toppriced bull at $lBOO last year, sold 11 polled Herefords at $6OO to $l7OO, average $877, this year They averaged $896 for 15 bulls last year. Mendip Hills station (Parnassus) topped the averages last year, with eight sales averaging

$lO3l. This year the station sold one horned Hereford at $6OO. After the sale observers said that the trend set at the Culverden and Cheviot bull sales would probably continue throughout the bull-selling season during the next few months. It is believed that the number of breeding cows in New Zealand has decreased about 5 per cent in the last 12 months. Herd numbers have steadily decreased for at least four years. Because of this limiting factor, buying power would only be brought to bear on the best of the bulls offered at auction, the observers said.