Buyers look for export lambs

Press, 29 July 1987, Page 31

Buyers look for export lambs

Freezing works' buyers returned to Addington market yesterday, looking tor export lambs for the first time for several weeks, and this contributed to a firming of prices for medium to lightweight prime lambs. In spite of the lower works premiums offering now in company schedules and the generally lighter weights of the lambs yarded yesterday, values were steady or slightly improved on last week for everything which was called prime except for the heavy ram lambs. The first hint of spring weather brought big galleries to watch the feature pens of store cattle and store ewes sell. Generally reduced yardings of all classes of stock compared with recent weeks helped to keep prices steady. PRIME LAMBS The yarding of 1529 prime lambs was well down on last week’s total of 2400 and 2880 the week before. Heavy ram lambs eased off slightly at the very top end of the market but there was no easing of values in the medium to light prime lamb ranges. The WX-type prime ram lambs eased in price to a peak of around $42 to $44 for woolly ones, compared with a peak $47 in recent times. Values were:— Heavy prime lambs, $3B to $44. Medium prime lambs, $3O to $35. Light prime lambs, $24 to $27.50. Sales included:— P. A. Mowat (Kaikoura) 20 at $27.80 to $2B; H. J. and T. H. Gardiner (Lakeside) 77 at $29.60 to $32.20; Kimanis Farm (Ohoka) 24 at $26 to $33.40; R. Middleton (Springston) 12 at $3B to $45; E. F. Buxton (Russell Flat) 74 at $24 to $29.80; B. J. Lambie (Rakaia) 33 at $37.40 to $43.20; C. H. Redmond (Darfield) 66 at $28.60 to $36.60; J. L. and M. E. Richards (Amberley) 46 at $23.60 to $32.20; B. R. Dalzell (Hawarden) 38 at $24 to $37.40; C. J. and R. G. Mason (Culverden) 56 at $27.60 to $3O; F. D. Robinson (West Melton) 26 at $39.60 to $4O; Minehan Bros (Ross) 26 at $24 to $26.20; Villumsen Bros (Kowhiterangi) 85 at $23 to $26; C. O. Parr (Bankside) 30 at $32.20 to $34.60; W. W. and E. M. Thornton (Harewood) 68 at $26.60 to $3B; S. G. and J. R. Mora (Tai Tapu) 33 at $39 to $40.80; D. K. and L. A. Redmond (Kirwee) 55 at $25 to $27; J. M. Woodfield (Horrelville) 60 at $30.60 to $37.20; Newton Bros (Little River) 33 at $3O to $32.20; B. J. Martin (Kaiapoi) 28 at $26 to $28.80; Poplar Grove (Hawarden) 47 at $28.80 to $31.40; Fairleigh Farm (Summerhill) 27 at $26.40 to $33; D. Barrar (Gebbies Valley) 42 at $24 to $25.80; G. E. Patten (Little River) 50 at $25.40 to $32.20; W. Heslop (Amberley) 23 at $25.60 to $3O; M. and P. Crossan,.2 ram lambs' $40.20. PRIME SHEEP Really top older ewes with good fleeces and in heavy condition made up to $3O yesterday. Hoggets also sold up to a peak of $3O, helped by a small yarding of younger ewes. Values were:— Best woolly old ewes, $24 to $3O.

Medium ewes, shorn $lB to $23. Light ewes, $16.50 to $2O. Best hoggets up to $2B, woolly to $3O. Medium shorn hoggets, $2O to $24. Sales included:— Old ewes: R. G. Douglas (Scargill) 28 at $15.20 to $24.20; J. M. Woodfield (Horrelville) 55 at $15.80 to $23; A. W. C. McPherson (Southbridge) 30 at $lB to $24.60; J. A. Francis (Darfield) 73 at $20.80 to $22.40; J. R. Collier (Sheffield) 20 at $25 to $27; Broomfield Estate (Amberley) 123 at $18.40 to $22.80; M. G. Gould (Culverden) 60 at $18.20 to $22.20; D. J. and J. Stewart (Rakaia) 80 at $23.20 to $27.60; Mt Torlesse station (Springfield) 69 at $19.40 to $23.60; G. J. W. and F. K. Beere (Waikari) 70 at $16.60 to $20.20. Hoggets: R. A. and R. B. Coppard (Hororata) 19 at $26 to $26.40; J. A. Francis (Darfield) 7 at $25; Wairiri Partnership (Coalgate) 20 at $19.80 to $27; J. R. Collier (Sheffield) 12 at $25. to $29.80. Wethers: N. A. Reid (Motunau) 41 old wethers at $24.80 to $25.80; 27 four-tooth at $27.20; 18 two-tooth at $27.40 to $27.80. STORE CATTLE With a return of confidence among buyers for breeding cows, the feature line in the store cattle sale topped $485 for in-calf cows and up to $528 for in-calf heifers. Hossack station (Waiau) sold 15 Hereford in-calf heifers, mated to Angus bulls and pregnancy tested, for between $432 and $528; 90 incalf Hereford cows, mated to Angus and pregnancy tested, made between $432 and $485; 14 empty Hereford heifers sold for $454 and 16 empty cows sold between $3lB and $468. Most pens were bought by one agent for a Southland purchaser. Other sales in the store cattle included 32 18-month Shorthorn Hereford cross steers between $448 and $474. These were sold by D. W. and S. M. Evans (Hawarden). Values were:— Medium steers, two-years old, $460 to $490. Light steers, $420 to $430. Medium steer calves, to $3OO. Medium heifer calves, to $250. PRIME CATTLE The small selection of prime cattle had a particularly good sale with the top prices returning up to 215 c a kilogram. However the bulk of the prime cattle sold between 200 and 205 c a kilogram. Values were:— Prime heavy steers, to $734. Medium steers, $490 to $5BO. Light steers, $426 to $490. Prime heavy heifers, to $580.. Medium heifers, $476 to $540. Light heifers, $348 to $450. Prime heavy cows, to $602. Medium cows, $3BO to $490. Sales included:— Steers: J. R. Collier (Sheffield) 6 at $550 to $724; T. J. Masefield (Goughs Bays) 6 at $664 to $690; J. J. Lochhead (Omihi) 4 at $652 to $722; K. B. and I. N. Turpin (Greta Valley) 9 at $470 to $532; R. McKeague (Hinds) 4 at $6BO to $734; J. O. Litten (West Melton) 3 at $426 to $650; J. K. Fincham (Hawarden) 9 at

$460 to $532; G. E. Patten (Little River) 7 at $490. Heifers: Belhamed Farm (Amberley) 6 at $547 to $580; J. R. Collier (Sheffield) 3 at $478 to $558; T. J. Masefield (Goughs Bay) 4 at $476; C. T. White (Cheviot) 3 at $476 to $576; D. O. Masefield (Banks Peninsula) 5 at $490 to $536; Mrs J. E. Cameron (Amberley) 4 at $348 to $356; J. K. Fincham (Hawarden) 5 at $444 to $466. Cows: R. B. Manson (McQueens Valley) 4 at $3BO to $494; E. W. Mosely (Scargill) 6 at $348 to $470; M. S. Duliev (Greenpark) 2 at $412 and $490; Miller Holdings (Motukarara) 9 at $470 to $602. BOBBY CALVES A yarding of 78 bobby calves attracted a good gallery of buyers and the values were: Friesian bull calves from $94 to $136, Friesian heifer calves $42 to $7B, beef cross bull calves $9O to $136 and beef cross heifers $lOB to $l2O. STORE SHEEP A large gallery of buyers looking for store sheep pushed up prices by an average of $2 a head compared with recent sales. Ewes close to lambing, or in some cases actually lambing in the yards, were at a premium but all descriptions of store ewes were in demand. Store lambs were of indifferent quality and peaked at $2l but most sold in a range of $l2 to $l5. Drysdale ram lambs sold between $l2 and $17.80. Sales included:— K. and D. Searle (Hororata) 290 January shorn Halfbreds at $25; Holly Farm (Leeston) 185 inlamb Borderdales ewes $35.40 and 139 in-lamb Corriedale ewes at $35.80. DAIRY COWS One springing Friesian heifer made $390 and two springing Friesian heifers made $375 each. PRIME PIGS A medium-sized yarding met a much better sale this week. Sale quality was mixed but with strong competition from outside buyers values were up $l5 to $2O on recent sales. Heavy baconers sold to $l9O and the best porkers to $135. Values were:— Light pork, $lO5 to $ll5. Medium to heavy pork $l2O to $135. Light to medium bacon $145 to $l7O. Heavy bacon to $l9O. Choppers were yarded in much smaller numbers and values were steady with most selling between $l7O and $2OO. Values were:— Light choppers, $l4O to $l7O. Heavy choppers, $lBO to $2lO. Heavy boars, $260. STORE PIGS A large yarding of store pigs had another excellent sale. Some very good quality large store pigs were yarded and these attracted strong competition selling to a peak of $l3O. Good quality weaners again sold to $BO and the majority of the yarding sold between $BO and $lOO. In-pig sows sold steadily from $315 to $390. Values were:— Small weaners, $6O to $7O. Good weaners, $72 to $B2. Slips and small stores, $B5 to $lOO.

Large stores, $lO5 to $ll5.