Tekapo prices trifle disappointing

Press, 27 February 1984, Page 12

Tekapo prices trifle disappointing

Merino and Halfbred sheep prices eased slightly at the Lake Tekapo annual sale last Friday, compared with the same sale last year and the Oamarama sale last Thursday. A general easing of up to ?3 per head resulted where prices could be directly compared with last year. But a quarter of the 36 Mackenzie Country vendors found at the end of the day that their prices this year were better than the previous year by up to $5 for comparable lines.

These vendors were among those that had poor prices at last year’s sale, which featured prices generally considerably better than the year before. If they resolved to try harder this year, the extra attention paid off because they bucked the downward trend.

The market generally was supported at the bottom end by plains fatteners and works buyers and there were no really embarrassingly low prices or passes.

At the top end of the market prices were fully firm on last year, with Ruataniwha and Mt Cook both providing lots which made $39.50. Ruataniwha sold 308 fourtooth and six-tooth Merino ewes which had been run as dries at $39.50 and Mt Cook provided some excellent fourshear wethers which shared top money. Simons Pass station had a very good sale, topping the two-tooth section with some English Leicester Halfbred ewes which bought $38.50, and the lamb section with some Border Leicester Merino cross ewe lambs which made $28.75, an improvement of $2 on the

peak of the lambs in 1983. Border Merino cross wether lambs peaked at $27 for Glenmore station, on a par with last year. Because of the general easing in prices, agents described the sale as slightly disappointing. The excellent sheep raising season in all areas and the continued strength of fine wools in the auction system had led many to believe that Tekapo prices would be up again.

Also the yarding this year was slightly down on last year. Some 26,500 were sold on Friday, compared with 28,000 in the previous sale. The lower yarding was attributed to the need to restock after the drought and the Labour week-end, 1982, lamb losses in the high country. Reports of $5O Corriedales down on the plains may also have led vendors and agents in the Mackenzie Country to expect something similar. It was not to be, with only the best of the Halfbred lambs and two-tooths and the really top Merino aged ewes and wethers equalling or bettering last year’s good prices. Some big individual sales were recorded, with up to $20,000 worth of sheep being bought in one lot by one buyer. In the following list of sales, all sheep are Merinos unless otherwise stated.

Pyne, Gould, Guinness Ltd sold on account of: Irishman Creek, 234 Border Merino cross wether lambs at $25, 181 Border Merino cross ewe lambs at $25, 479 wether lambs at $22.50, 408 wether lambs at $13.50, 210 annual draft ewes at $16.50; Glenmore, 250 fourshear wethers at $25.50, 59

annual draft ewes at $12.25, 208 Border Merino cross wether lambs at $24, 110 wether lambs at $14.50, 350 wether lambs at $27, 340 wether lambs at $l7, 359 annual draft ewes at $l6; Rhoborough, 268 annual draft wethers at $l7, 46 Down cross lambs at $l4; Curraghmore, 79 Halfbred ewe lambs at $22, 299 annual draft ewes at $17.50, 348 annual draft ewes at $14.25, Grampians, 287 annual draft wethers at $20.50, 200 annual draft ewes at $2B, 203 annual draft ewes at $26.50; Simons Pass, 221 Halfbred two-tooth ewes at $38.50, ,32 Halfbred two-tooth ewes at $25.50, 41 ewe lambs at $20.75, 61 ewe lambs at $22.25, 180 wether lambs at $l7, 182 Border Merino cross ewe lambs at $28.75; 262 wether lambs at $26.50, 326 wether lambs at $23.50, 90 annual draft ewes at $9.50, 83 annual draft ewes at $16.50, 121 annual draft ewes at $25.50, 120 annual draft ewes at $22.50; Ben Ohau, 302 annual draft ewes at $19.50, 167 annual draft ewes at $10.75; Braemar, 47 four-tooth ewes at $l7, 86 two-tooth ewes at $18.25, 58 two-tooth wethers at $17.50, 107 annual draft ewes at $9.25, 327 annual draft ewes at $13.50; The Wolds, 47 Border Halfbred cross ewe lambs at $22, 100 Halfbred two-tooth ewes at $33, 217 Halfbred twotooth ewes at $3l, 230 Border Halfbred ewe lambs at $22.75, 382 annual draft Halfbred ewes at $2B; Maryburn, 376 Border Halfbred cross ewe lambs at $26.50, 35 Border Halfbred cross lambs at $22.25, 63 Halfbred two-tooth ewes at $25, 343 Halfbred two-tooth ewes at $34; Paddys Market, 201 annual

draft Halfbred ewes at $15.50; Single Hill, 31 two-tooth ewes at $17.75,- 291 annual draft wethers at $12.50, Coolgardie, 350 shorn Halfbred annual draft ewes at $l7; Mt John, 130 Halfbred two-tooth ewes at $17.50, 44 Halfbred two-tooth ewes at $l7, 385 annual draft Halfbred ewes at $l2; Rollesby, 206 annual draft Halfbred ewes at $27; Dry Creek, 30 mixed sex two-tooths at $l5, 42 mixed sex, mixed age at $15.50; Lake Tekapo Squash Club, 14 Halfbred two-tooth ewes at $26.75. Wrightson NMA, Ltd sold on behalf of: Grays Hills, 165 wether lambs at $12.50, 213 ewe lambs at $26.50, 39 two and four-tooth ewes at $2O, 60 two and four-tooth wethers at $l7, 906 annual draft ewes at $l9; Streamlands, 545 annual draft ewes at $35, 135 wether lambs at $16.50, Ruataniwha, 187 two-tooth ewes at $38.50, 329 annual draft ewes at $32, 110 annual draft ewes at $2O, 308 four and six tooth ewes at $39.50; Mt Gerald, 300 annual draft wethers at $2O, 300 annual draft wethers at $19.75; Bauchops Hill, 174 two-tooth Halfbred ewes at $30.50, Mt Cook, 101 four-shear wethers at $39.50, 152 annual draft ewes at $33; Black Forest, 48 ewe lambs at $13.25, 34 ewe lambs at $12.50, 33 wether lambs at $18.25, 50 ewe lambs at $lB, 214 ewe lambs at $23, 159 wether lambs at $l7; Haldon, 600 two-tooth wethers at $36.50, 206 two-tooth wethers at $36.25, 275 two-tooth ewes at $2O, 346 annual draft ewes at $7, 191 wether lambs at $ll, 192 wether lambs at $10.25, 1230 wether lambs at $l6, 344 ewe lambs at $9.50, 271 wethers at $2l, 438 annual draft ewes at $7.25; Mt Hay,

236 annual draft ewes at $19.50; Ron Small (Lake Tekapo) 41 two-tooth wethers at $l7, 47 two-tooth ewes at $l7; Bendrose, 46 two-tooth ewes at $l9.

Dalgety Crown, Ltd sold on account of: Glenrock, 305 wether lambs at $15.75, 136 wether lambs at $10.75, 294 Border Merino cross ewe lambs at $22.70, 74 two-tooth ewes at $16.50, 85 annual draft ewes at $10.25, 299 annual draft ewes at $13.25; Omahau, 105 mixed sex lambs at $11.50, 170 two-tooth wethers at $l9, 166 two-tooth ewes at $18.50, 216 annual draft ewes (twice) at $l7 and $13.50; Simons Hill, 320 Halfbred mixed sex lambs at $15.60, 97 mixed sex Halfbred lambs at $20.25, 299 Border Halfbred cross ewe iambs at $24.40, 297 Halfbred two-tooth ewes at $25.75, 60 Halfbred two-tooth ewes at $20.50, 300 annual draft Halfbred ewes at $22.50, 295 annual draft Halfbred ewes at $21.75; Tasman Downs, 280 Halfbred wether lambs at $19.75, 74 twotooth Halfbred wethers at $16.75, 34 two-tooth ewes at $16.25, 257 annual draft wethers at $19.50, 40 annual draft Halfbred ewes at $lO, 194 annual draft Halfbred ewes at $21.50, 17 Halfbred wether lambs at $12.50, 86 Halfbred wether lambs at $15.75, 65 Halfbred ewe lambs at $18.82; Sawdon, 349 annual draft ewes at $l2; Lilybank 150 annual draft wethers at $18.50; Pukaki Downs, 176 annual draft wethers at $19.25; Glen Lyon (in conjunction with P.G.G.) 222 wether lambs at $11.25, 176 wether lambs at $10.75, 358 annual draft ewes at $9.25, 107 mixed sex lambs at $7, 131 annual draft ewes at $l5.