Official report, prices

Press, 17 April 1982, Page 23

Official report, prices

Crossbred fleece wools offered at yesterday's Christchurch wool sale rose substantially in value compared with the most recent sale, the combined Auckland and Wanganui sale on April 2. The long lay-off over Easter resulted in gains of 5 per cent or more in fleece wools, secondshear and oddments, according to the official report by the Christchurch Woolbr’okers' Association, in conjunction with the Wool Board and the Woolbuyers' Association. The offering of 25,703 bales was drawn from Canterbury. Marlborough, Nelson and West Coast, the latter two provinces supplying mainly crossbred lambs and second-shear wool.

Most fleece showed discoloration and many lots were cotted, which is fairly normal for an April sale. Lambs’ wools made up a large percentage of the offering and these were of all qualities and lengths. Choice lots were not numerous, the bulk being of average to good colour and condition. The same comments applied to the second-shear wool. Competition was widespread on all descriptions. All sections were active. Eastern Europe and Japan being the main buyers. Compared with the Dunedin sale on March 26, the fine wool market was quoted as follows:— Merino, firm; fine Halfbred, buyers’ favour, medium Halfbred, firm; strong Halfbred, 24'2 per cent to 5 per ceht dearer; extra strong Halfbred. 5 per cent to 74'2 per cent dearer; Halfbred skirtings and oddments, unchanged. Compared with the AucklandWanganui combined sale on April 2 the market was quoted as follows:—medium Crossbred. 5 per cent dearer; strong Crossbred, 24 a per cent to 5 per cent dearer; Crossbred second shear and lambs, 2‘•a per cent to 5 per cent dearer: crossbred skirtings, firm: crossbred oddments, 2*-z

per cent to 5 per cent dearer. The Wool Board was required to give only limited support to the sale by bidding on about 6 per cent of the first three catalogues in the offering and having one per cent sold or passed to it. The following is the- official range of prices issued by the Christchurch Woolbrokers’ Association:—

Fine Merino. 64/70s: Good 460 to 485 Medium ' Merino. 60/64s, 64s: Good 431 to 465 Average 396 to 428 Extra fine Halfbred and Corriedale; 60s and finer: Good '376 to 396 Extra fine Halfbred and Corriedale. 58s. 58/60s: Good 350 to 375 Good (low yield) 327 to 348 Average ' 310 to 322 Fine Halfbred and Corriedale. 56/58s: Good 341 to 353 Good (low yield) 303 to 330 Average 280 to 302 Medium Haifbred and Corriedale.54/56s: Good 305 to 326 Good (low yield) 288 to 301 Average ’ 260 to 292 Poor 210 to 246 Strong Halfbred and Corriedale, 50/54s: Good 293 to 311 Good (low yield) 276 to 291 Average ’ 264 to 282 Fine Crossbred. 50/ 52s: Good 300 to 338 Average 264 to 297 Medium Crossbred. 46 50s: Good 298 to 317 Good (low yield) 274 to 296 Average 260 to 280 Poor 240 to 255

Strong Crossbred, 44/ 48s: Good to Super Good Good (low yield) Average Shorn Hog; 313 to 319 285 to 299 273 to 284 257 to 276 tel Fine 'Halfbred and Corriedale. 56 58s: Good 350 to 364 Medium Halfbred and Corriedale. 54 58s: Good 311 to 320 Average ■ 270 to 304 Fine Crossbred. 48 ’ 50s: Good to Super 320 to 341 Good 295 to 312 Average 265 to 292 Second shear Fine Halfbred and Corriedale, 58s: Good 311 to 318 Medium Halfbred and Corriedale. 54 56s: Good 260 to 290 Average 227 to 253 Strong Crossbred. 44' 48s, 3in to 5in: Good 275 to 310 Average 253 to 277 Strong Crossbred, 44/ 48s. 2in to 3in: Average to good 246 to 266 Necks Halfbred. 56, 58s: Good 299 to 321 Average 278 to 296 Fine Crossbred. 48 50s: ■ Good 275 to 288 Average 250 to 277 Pieces Merino 60/64s: Good - to 394 Average to good 343 to 369 Fine Halfbred. 58s: Average to good