Several high prices at Christchurch wool sale

Press, 25 September 1980, Page 18

Several high prices at Christchurch wool sale

Growers had another good <day oh the first day of the .ztwo-day wool sale in Christchurch yesterday.

r Fleece wools tended to lift ’in value again, with China -reported to be the dominant 'factor in the markt.

At this stage the war between Iraq and Iran did not ’appear to be affecting the .inarket. Once the market responded dramatically to ’wars and rumours of wars, ■but people in the trade believe those days are past-. ’- However, Iran has been a -significant buyer and one trade representative said he \doubted if much wool was -being bought yesterday for - that destination. Those holding wool for Iran are no •doubt concerned about ’whether they are going to •be able to get the wool -there and be paid. There was -’talk of wool being taken ’overland to Iran if it could -■riot be delivered safely by \sea. However, any lack of Iranian business was more than compensated for by Chinese interest, and in the sizeable selection of Halfbred and Corriedale fleeces all categories tended to be firmer on rates paid at Dunedin last week. This also applied to some of the skirtings. This was probably to be expected after a recent improvement in the finer-wool market in Australia.

Some very high yielding wools were included in the

selection and these brought very high prices.

Macdonald Downs, of Hawarden, had a notable sale, realising up to 381 c per kg for extra-fine Halfbred woolly hogget. This price may be the highest ever paid for Halfbred fleece in Christchurch. The station sold 245 bales from 302 c to 381 c, with 70 bales making 350 c or better. This was ah extremely fine consignment, with the hogget woofs down to 21.7 microns in fibre diameter and high yields of up to 82 per cent. P. C. Wright, from the Rangitata Gorge, also had 47 bales of Halfbred bettering the 300 c mark and ranging up to 336 c. Barrosa station also from inland Mid-Canter-bury, realised up to 345 c for 149 bales, selling from 303 c. G. A. Logan (Amberley) also had Corriedale wool selling to 361 c and he had 25 bales making from 292 c, and among the big entries of this type of wool Mendip Hills station (Parnassus) had 321 bales bringing from 272 c to 312 c. The bulk of the Halfbred and Corriedale fleece, however, brought from about 275 c to 310 c and this was good money. Although the market for Merino wools was described as erratic and the range of values was fairly wide, the main weight of sales fell between about 345 c and 380 c,

and woolly hogget wool from G. Low (Wairau Valley) sold for an impressive 405 c per kg to Prouvost Lefebvre Export, Ltd, for use in a French mill. It was described as a very soft-hand-ling wool of about 19.5 microns. Another, lot of ewe wool from the same source reached 402 c. Mr Low had 20 bales selling from 366 c to 405 c and G. M. Black (Awatere) 37 bales at 340 c to 381 c. In the crossbred section the coarser fleece wool market opened a little easier, but the sale picked up during the day to recover, while the. fine and medium categories looked to be a shade dearer again on last week’s combined Napier and Auckland sale rates. In the main these wools were selling from about 285 c to 310 c, with Perendale making to 344 c, Coopworth to 323 c and Romney to 322 c. B. J. Hall (Canvastown) had 22 bales of Perendale wool realising from 319 c to

344 c; G. N. Grigg (Mount Somers) sold 136 bales of Coopworth from 303 c to 315 c; High Peak station in the Rakaia Gorge had 105 bales of crossbred wool ranging from 301 c to 314 c 'and the Sherwood Partnership (Waiau) 60 bales selling from 300 c to 310 c. Crossbred second-shear wools brought similar money to fleece, realising from about 270 c to 305 c.

Apart from China, both Western and Eastern European interests provided some support for the market, but there was only limited interest on the part of Japan and New Zealand mills.

The improved tone of the market resulted in the Wool Board having one of its quietest days for some time. Whereas at the last Christchurch sale last month when the board had nearly 16 per cent sold or passed to it, yesterday it put in a bid on only a little over 20 per cent of the selection and had only

823 bales, or 4 per cent of the selection, sold or passed to it. The top price of the. day was, 405 c paid for four bales of fine woolly Merino hogget wool from G. Low. For another 12 bales of his fine ewe wool, the price was 402 c. K. S. Duff (Marlbor-, ough) received 392 c for six bales of super fine wool and sales at 386 c were recorded by I. and P. Hamilton (Awatere Valley) for one bale of extra fine Merino ewe, and for three bales of fine woolly hogget from A. E. Van Asch (Seddbn). L. W. Lane (Wairau Valley) also had 10 bales of fine ewe wool at 384 c. Twelve bales of extra fine woolly hogget from MacDonald Downs sold for 381 c to top the Halfbred section and another II bales of similar wool from the property realised 380 c. They also had another 19 bales of woolly hogget at 366 c and 22 bales of ertra fine two-tooth wool’

at 362 c. Medium woolly hogget in five bales from A. and B. Green (Hanmer) sold for 353 c, and Barrosa station had sir bales of fine woolly hogget at 345 c. P. C. Wright also had 14 bales of ewe wool at 336 c.

The top money for Corriedale wool was 361 c for 11 bales of fine woolly hogget, from G. A. Logan. L. C. Gardiner (Waiau) received 329 c for 11 bales of Woolly hogget and Mr Logan had another four bales at 327 c. Another 13 bales of woolly hogget from the Hawkswood Estate (Parnassus) sold for 316 c.

Six bales of extra fine quarterbred wool from B. R. Allan (Marlborough) made 310 c.

Polwarth wool from J. W. Oswald (Seddon) also sold to 311 c for six bales of dine wool.

Sixteen bales of Romney wool from I. C. Stanbury (Hilltop) sold for 322 c. Sales at 321 c were made by I. R. Whillans (Ruapuna) for 12 bales of crossbred woolly hogget and by M. D. Wason (Russells Flat) also sold 31 bales of ewe wool at 320 c. Sales at 319 c were made by Waipahi Transport (Te Pirita) for 11 bales of Ro'ney woolly hogget, G. P. Dennis (Hororata) for seven bales of crossbred wool and by A. B. and J. L. Totty (Methven) for 12 bales .of shorn crossbred hogget.

B. J. Hall headed the Perendale section with four bales of two-tooth wool making 344 c. He also had five bales at 325 c, five at 321 c and eight at 319 c. R. D. Thomas (Darfield) also sold 15 bales at 322 c, and High Peak station 10 bales of medium wool at 321 c and N. A. Fraser (Banks Peninsula) 14 bales at the same money.-

Coopworth wool made to 323 c for 22 bales of woolly hogget from E. W. Coop (Hororata). G. N. Grigg also had 25 bales of two-tooth wool at 315 c, and R. H. W. Hamilton (Rangiora) realised 313 c for nine bales of shorn hogget. For second-shear wool one of the best prices was 316 c for 21 bales of Romney wool from J. R. Stanbury (Little River). D. M. Curd (Russells Flat) also sold nine bales of Romney at 313 c. Surrey Hills. station (Mount Somers) sold seven bales of three-quarterbred woolly hogget at 310 c and 14 bales at 306 c. Borderdale ewe wool from Limestone Glens (Cheviot) sold for 314 c for six bales and Border Leicester ewe wool from J. Gunn (Darfield) realised 305 c for six bales Four bales of Southdowncross wool in the bins of Pyne, Gould, Guinness, Ltd, realised 320 c and another seven 319 c. Details of catalogues in order of sale were:— Wrightson . NMA, Ltd, 8611 bales, Pyne, Gould, Guin-

ness, Ltd, 12,108 bales, total 20,719.

The sale will be concluded with the offering of two further catalogues tomorrow.