‘Realistic’ prices for angoras

Press, 31 January 1986, Page 9

‘Realistic’ prices for angoras

Angora goat prices at Christchurch yesterday were well below the exceptional level of last year’s corresponding sale, but several breeders said they were happy to see the market settle down at “realistic” prices. About 160 angora does and bucks changed hands for $630,000 and another 70 goats were passed in at auction as buyers showed a much more discerning attitude when selecting stock than they did last year.

During the angora boom last year, the South Island sale grossed $1.3 million for 200 goats, including some grade does and bucks.

Prices have dropped this season because of the growing numbers of angoras and concern at the livestock taxation measures announced recently by the Government.

In spite of the lower over-all prices, yesterday’s sale was a shade stronger than the national sale at Hamilton earlier this month, and the demand for the better quality goats was similar to that at the Lands and Survey Department’s auction of Waitangi angoras.

Most goats were bought by existing goat farmers

or traditional farmers wanting to diversify. Only a handful of goats were bought by North Island interests who last year supported the sale strongly. Angora does sold very strongly, two-tooths averaging $7lOO and mixedage does $BO7O. The average price for angora doe kids was $2150, G 1 twotooth does averaged $2OBO, and mixed-aged G 1 does $l7BO. The selectiveness of buyers was particularly noticeable in the angora buck section where quality was variable. Several bucks attracted no interest from buyers because of their quality and 43 out of almost 140 were passed in.

Two-tooth bucks averaged $3BBO, mixed-age bucks $6300, and buck kids $670. The top price of the sale was $26,000 for a two-tooth doe sold by J. G. and H. E. Gunn, of Darfield. The Gunns sold another two-tooth at $16,000, Murray Day, Winton, sold one at $15,500, and B. M. and L. A. Faulkner, Springfield, two at $lO,OOO and $BOOO. Other two-tooth doe sales included R. S. and L. D. Mills (Wanaka), two at $5500 and $4500; G. R. and C. K. Palmer

(Rakaia), two at $6500 and $4500; Mrs J. Spary (Arrowtown), two at $4500; J. S. Rutherford (Waiau), 3 from $7500 to $4000; P. and F. McCullogh (Christchurch), one at $7000; R. D. and G. W. Gould (Amberley), four from $6OOO to $3000; A. J. and J. J.- Mayberry (Christchurch), three at $9500 to $4000; J. B. McElrea (Darfield) two at $6OOO and $4000; W. L. and B. J. Joyce (Christchurch), one at $10,000; and A. D. Wethey (Woodend) one at $3500. Sales of mixed-age does were S. and N. J. Hobson (Kaiapoi), one at $3500; J. G. and H. E. Gunn, one at $lB,OOO, N. T. Morrow (Wanaka), two at $3500 and $2500; Mrs V. H. Ward (Ashburton), one at $4500; J. B. McElrea, one at $6500; and M. Day, one at $lB,OOO.

Most doe kids sold between $l5OO and $4OOO, G 1 does ranged from $lOOO to $3OOO, and mixed-age G 1 does were between $l2OO and $2500.

The top buck price was $20,000 received by K. D. Garland (Waimate) for a buck born in 1983. Other mixed-age bucks were sold by M. Day, two at $11,600 and $10,500; Miss J. Croft (Omihi) one at

$3500; S. and N. J. Hobson, one at $2500; J. M. and H. R. Rutherford (Hawarden), one at $4000; T. G. and M. S. Sutherland (Albury) one at $2250; P. J. Sullivan (Christchurch), one at $2000; J. A. and K. H. Tiffen (Tirnaru), one at $1250; and Gould and Taylor (Amberley), one at $5OOO.

Two-tooth buck prices included: J. G. and H. E. Gunn, six from $5500 to $17,000; T. G. and M. S. Sutherland, six at $2OOO to $3500; J. Spary, one at $5000; M. Day, one at $10,000; A. J. and V. L. Miller (Nelson), one at $6000; Mrs V. H. Ward, two at $6OOO to $4500; K. D. Garland, seven at $6OOO to $2500; B. D. and H. J. Purchas (Hawarden), two at $4OOO and

$3250; E. and J. Batty (Blenheim), two at $5500 and $3500; G. R. and C. K. Palmer (Rakaia) four at $6OOO to $1500; B. M. and L. A. Faulkner, three at $7OOO to $4000; A. D. Wethey, two at $2750 to $2000; Coatbridge Partnership (Blenheim) one at $5000; W. L. and B. J. Joyce (Christchurch), three at $5500 to $3500; C. J. and J. M. Mulvaney (Alexandra), two at $4000; Anton Angora Partnership (Christchurch), one at $3000; N. T. Morrow (Wanaka), one at $5000; and M. B. and M. K. Whatman (Darfield), two at $4OOO and $2250. Most buck kid prices ranged from $250 to $6OO and several top quality kids sold between $lOOO and $3OOO.