Lambs’ wool sells well

Press, 1 March 1984, Page 15

Lambs’ wool sells well

Lambs’ wool fared best in a day of mixed fortunes for wool prices at the first day yesterday of this week’s two-day Christchurch auction. Halfbred lambs’ wool was 2.5 per cent dearer than at the Dunedin sale on February 24 and crossbred lambs’ wool was erratic but generally 2.5 per cent dearer. Some good individual sales of lambs’ wool were recorded, the peak being 379 c for some 84 per cent yielding Perendale wool grown by the Lands and Survey Department at Nelson. This peak was more than 60c per kilogram better than the top price for crossbred lambs’ wool at the same sale in 1983 — a differential which is a good indication of the strengthening of the wool market in the last 12 months. However, prices of lambs’ wool were generally the brightest feature of the sale yesterday. Compared with prices at Dunedin, Halfbred fleece was par to 2.5 per cent cheaper, crossbred fleece was in sellers’ favour, crossbred second shear was also in sellers’ favour, soft cotts were 2.5 to 5 per cent cheaper, skirtings were up to 2.5 per cent cheaper and poor style oddments were 5 to 7.5 per cent cheaper. The adjusted weighted average sale price was 303.65 cents per kilogram, making a Government supplement of 5.4 per cent payable on all wool sold at the sale and sold privately from midnight, February 28 to midnight, March 1. The market indicator was 304, up 2c from Dunedin. A feature of the first catalogue was the number of passings, averaging between one and two lots per 20, but the broker commented that this was due to reserves placed on the wool by clients and the lack of buyer demand for a narrow micron range in the medium fine wool area. This lack of demand may have resulted in the 2.5 per cent drop in Halfbred fleece wool prices generally. The competition came from exporters dealing with Eastern Europe, with support from the Far East, Western Europe and local mills. The market closed on a firming tendency for most types which may mean thqt

tomorrow’s second day of the auction will recover the small falls of yesterday. Top of the sale was the 660 c made by J. R. Todhunter and Sons (Rakaia Gorge) for three bales of fine Merino fleece. The same vendor received 507 c for 15 bales of fleece wool. J. Morris (Rakaia Gorge) received 553 c for one bale of fine and 545 c for three bales of fine two-tooth wool. The Summerlands Run Company (Blenheim) sold fine Merino fleece to 549 c for 12 bales and shorn hogget fleece to 504 c for five bales. Kingsdown Partnership (Oxford) sold Merino warp at 550 c for one bale. Mount Arrowsmith Station (Mount Somers) sold 15 bales of fine Merino fleece for 538 c and seven bales of medium for 516 c. G. King (Clarence Bridge) sold six bales of strong fleece for 534 c B. W. and C. M. Humm (Ashburton) sold eight bales of fine Halfbred wool for 452 c, Wooldale Partnership (Rangiora) sold eight bales for 410 c of extra fine fleece and the bins of Pyne, Gould, Guinness produced several higher-priced Halfbred lots — four bales of fine for 422 c, eight bales of fine woolly hogget for 432 c and 10 bales of fine shorn hogget for 414 c. Halfbred wool reached 435 c for M. Spencer-Bower (Rangiora) for 11 bales of fine woolly hogget and 400 c for the Glenhope Station (Hanmer) for nine bales of fine shorn hogget. Garrymere Farm (Rangiora) sold four bales of Corriedale shorn hogget for 430 c and the same price was received by R. J. Bell (Christchurch) for six bales. Ballindalloch Farm (Culverden) received 428 c for five bales, Holleth Hills (Amberley) 420 c for four bales of shorn hogget wool, M. F. Bell (Dunsandel) received 412 c twice, for seven bales of fine twotooth wool and for three bales of extra fine wool and R. R. and S. M. Harris (Waiau) received 410 c for six bales. Thirteen bales of extra fine Corriedale wool reached 430 for the Clifton Farming Group (Waikari) and the same vendor sold 19 bales of fine wool for 431 c. B. K. MacFarlane (Parnassus) also received 410 c for his lot of eight bales of extra fine Corriedale fleece. Coopworth wool sold to 334 c

for D. W. Smith (Sheffield) for eight bales and to 332 c for 20 bales from G. J. and C. H. Stratford (Blenheim). Perendale wool reached 346 c for five bales of shorn hogget wool from G. W. Wright (Colgate) and four bales of the same description bought 345 c for E. B. C. Komen (South Westland). The bins of Pyne, Gould, Guinness produced an exceptional strong crossbred lustre wool lot of 13 bales which made 424 c. Hunt and Ballagh (Ashburton) sold extra fine crossbred fleece wool at 377 c for 10 bales, K. J. and H. W. Dalglish (Banks Pen.) sold 10 bales of super Romney wool for 365 c, J. D. Roberts and Sons (Ashburton) sold six bales of crossbred two-tooth wool for 368 c and Strathavon Farm (Methven) sold seven bales of fine crossbred for 357 c.

Woodstock Station (Rangiora) received 379 c for five bales of crossbred necks and the same price was received for 15 bales of strong crossbred from the bins of Dalgety Crown. W. Reverley (Ashburton) received 375 c for four bales of shorn hogget crossbred wool, H. N. and G. P. Gilbert (Hawarden) sold four bales of Romney shorn hogget wool for 360 c, while W. Fry (Nelson) made 352 c for four bales of fine crossbred shorn hogget wool. Strong Borderdale shorn hogget wool sold to 354 c for C. M. Souter (Cheviot) for six bales while the same vendor received 353 c for five bales of medium Borderdale shorn hogget. D. J. and E. D. Woodward (Darfield) received 355 c for eight bales of Border Corriedale cross wool. Perendale lambs’ wool reached a peak of 379 c for the Lands and Survey Department (Nelson) for four bales and on 361 c were two lots, one of 17 bales from the Lands and Survey Department (Hokitika) and the other of four bales from D. W. and O. F. Calder (Banks Pen.).

Another sale of Perendale lambs' wool at 360 c for eight lots was recorded by I. R. Witton (Murchison).

Coopworth lambs’ wool peaked at 364 c for R. G. Batchelor (Geraldine) who sold 10 bales at this price, at 360 c for four bales from M. W. and S. H. Fowler (Ashburton), and at 355 c for C. E. Grigg (Banks

Pen.) for eight bales and for Animal Enterprizes (Ashburton) for seven bales. The bins of Dalgety Crown also produced Coopworth lambs’ wool which sold at 354 c (15 bales) and 353 c (23 bales). Ferniehurst Station (Parnassus) topped the Romney lambs’ wool section, selling 14 bales of fine for 366 c. L G. de la Roche (Parnassus) produced 11 bales of Romney lambs’ wool which sold for 358 c, the Dalgety Crown bins produced 14 bales which made the same money, and 22 bales which made 355 c, while the Estate A. Deans (Darfield) sold six bales for 360 c, and W. R. Deans (Darfield) sold 10 bales of Romney lambs’ wool for 356 c. Among the crossbred lambs’ wool the peak was 363 c made by 13 bales from the Leebrook Partnership (Waiau), while M. D. Lucas (Banks Pen.) sold nine bales for 360 c, the Stone Jug Partnership (Kaikoura) sold 15 bales for 356 c, Orr Hill Holdings (Rai Valley) sold five bales for 356, D. G. Gerard (Havelock) sold four bales for 354 c, Tara Partnership (Ashburton) sold 17 bales for 350 c and the same price was received for eight bales from Sherwood Partnership (Waiau).

The bins of Dalgety Crown produced 13 bales which topped the Borderdale lambs’ wool offering of 368 c, while Pinaki Farm (Scargill) sold eight bales of fine Borderdale lambs’ wool for 353 c, Broomfield Estate (Amberley) sold 16 bales for 341 c and the Mildara Partnership (Christchurch) sold nine bales for 340 c. W. R. and G. W. Lemon (Ashburton) sold 14 bales of Border Romney cross lambs’ wool for 344 c. Corriedale lambs’ wool sold well for J. M. Le Compte and Sons (West Melton) at 348 c for four bales, for the Estate of G. F. Murgatroyd at 345 c for 11 bales and for D. I. Johns (Culverden) who sold eight bales at 344 c. Halfbred lambs’ wool peaked at 367 c for A. W. Phillips (Darfield) who sold four bales at this price.

The order of sale was: Dalgety Crown, Ltd, 1084 lots, 12,779 bales; Pyne, Gould, Guinness, Ltd 635 lots, 9183 bales; total 1719 lots, 21,962 bales. The second day of the sale will be on Friday when the broker will be Wrightson NMA, Ltd.