Strong demand at bull sales

Press, 4 August 1981, Page 23

Strong demand at bull sales

Both commercial and stud herd buyers gave strong support to the annual bull sales al Kaikoura and Te Mania.

Although some of the vendors at the sales did not improve on their individual averages, over all the sales were an improvement on last year. None of the' 127 cattle offered was passed in and only 19 sold at less than $lOOO.

Both sales were a strong indication of the confidence commercial cattle farmers have in the future of beef.

Several bulls were bought for commercial herds al around the $4OOO mark.

The Kaikoura sale started with a $5OOO sale of an Angus bull from the Estate W. N. Masefield. The joint purchasers were the Woodbank stud, of Kaikoura, and the Anstey stud, at Parnassus.

The Masefield's Ellenton stud sold 27 bulls at an average of $2066. Prices ranged from $lOOO to $5OOO. Last year the stud sold 24 at an average of $1746. The Woodbank stud, run by the Estate of J. Ross Murray, averaged $1342 for 19 Angus bulls. The stud’s prices ranged from $5OO to $3200, with the top-priced animal going to S. M. Johns (Kaikoura). Last year 17 Woodbank bulls averaged $1738.

J. G. Murray and Sons fractionally improved the average for their Herefords. This year 15 averaged $1946; last year 15 averaged $1940. This vendor's top price was s2Boo—paid by Bluff station (Kekerengu). Other prices went down to $6OO.

P. S. T. Davies improved the average for his Herefords from $983 for nine last year to $1412 for eight this year. This vendor’s

prices ranged from $lOOO to $2OOO (twice).

S. J. Chaffey sold 13 Hereford bulls between $6OO and $2BOO for an average of $1576. Last war 14 averaged $1468.

The condition of most of the bulls offered was good, despite the lean summer experienced in the Kaikoura area.

Competition was strong and some potential buyers did not manage to make a purchase. The average for the 31 Angus bulls offered by F. F. Wilding’s Te Mania stud was $2316; a little lower than the $2419 average for the 41 sold last year. The reason for last year's higher average price was one individual sale at $lB,OOO.

This year the range of prices was mtich slimmer and over all the stud had a far better sale.

Only one Te Mania bull sold below $lOOO. The remaining 30 ranged from $lOOO to $4BOO. Eight sales were made at $3OOO or more.

Utakura Farms, Ltd. an Angus stud near Whangarei, bought the top-priced bull. > a The Altonbrook Stud (Southbridge) bought one at $4200, Chettick Bros (Taihape) one at $4400. and Beltana Estate (Parnassus) one at $4OOO. The Anstey stud (Parnassus) sold 10 Angus bulls at an average of $1670 compared with last year when the stud cleared nine at an average of $1437. The Anstey bulls mainly ranged from $llOO to $2BOO. One sale was made at $BOO.

The top priced bull from this stud was bought by Mt Vernon station.

Competition at both sales came from a wide area. Bulls went as far north as Whangarei and as far south as Otago.