Market gets boost

Press, 8 December 1988, Page 36

Market gets boost

An improved quality yarding of store cattle gave a welcome boost to yesterday’s Addington market. Cattle prices lifted slightly from the depressed levels of recent weeks, although the rise was a reflection of the better quality of the stock rather than any sudden increase in demand.

The inclusion of several lines of well-bred, goodquality yearlings, which had not been affected too badly by the drought, gave the market more confidence.

Good yearling steers made from $3OO to $370, with bigger cattle up to $4OO. Medium steers sold to about $290, while small steers reached $250.

A big line of Hereford yearling heifers from Mendip Hills station reached $250, while the top heifers from Mt Stewart partnership and R. J. and S. Macauley made $284. Among older cattle, good two-year-old steers made $470 to $490 and heifers reached $350.

The bulk of the buying power for cattle came from local farmers and those in Central and Mid-Canterbury. In the store-sheep pens, there were signs that farmers

were already on the look-out for well-bred ewes suitable for breeding. But the offering was generally disappointing, with the drought having taken toll of the condition of stock. A line of fine-woolled one and two-year ewes, with good frames, but little condition, reached $17.25, and a consignment of shorn ewes with two-year mouths made $l2. Several sales of light, workstype ewes were made at $3 to $4.

Store-lamb prices were steady with last week’s rates. Good lambs made $ll to $l3, with the tops from undrafted lines of ram lambs reaching $l5 and Corriedale ewe lambs making to $14.80.

The bulk of the yarding comprised fine-wool types, with very few good crossbreds. Most sales were between $7 and $lO and only poor, small stock made less than $5. The sale drew a good-sized gallery of farmers, most from Canterbury, who were prepared to pay $9 to $ll for reasonable iambs. The consistent competition for good lambs resulted in prices slightly above works schedules, according to obsevers, and showed that there

were still pockets of feed in Canterbury suitable for finishing lambs. The bulk of the yarding was bought for grow-ing-on. The yardings were 9560 store lambs (11,471 last week), 780 adult sheep (1250), 542 yearling cattle, and 108 adult cattle. Sales included:-

Store lambs: Sandhurst (Weka Pass), 400 Corriedale cryptorchids at $6.50 to $10.50; Broomfield Estate (Amberley), 500 Coopworths at $10.50 to $l3; Achray Partnership (Rotherham), 319 Corriedale rams at $6.20 to $l5; J. J. McLean and Sons (Omihi), 487 Corriedaies at $5.20 to $7.80; Spurtleton Downs (Omihi), 120 Corriedales at $B.BO, and 109 ewes at $9.60; Barrys Bay Partnership (Barrys Bay), 112 mixed sex at $6.40 to $9.20; M. A. W. Craw (Port Levy), 350 mixedsex at $7.40 to $12.40; P. K. Ensor (Hanmer Springs), 302 Suffolk cross mixed sex at $7.40 to $13.20. Adult sheep: A. B. Ross (Prebbleton), 71 Romney two-tooth ewes at $18.75 to $l9; Concorde Farm (Yaldhurst), 273 one and two-year Coprriedale ewes at $17.25. Yearling cattle: W. A. Gray

(Teddington), 38 steers at $2OB to $226, and 37 heifers at $lB6 to $234; Bush Farm (Brookside), 10 steers at $400; M. G. Gould (Rotherham), 17 steers at $276 to $294, and 7 heifers at $240; Mendip Hills (Parnassus), 104 heifers at $206 to $250; Mt Stewart Partnership (Waiau), 25 heifers at $274 to $284; R. J. and S. Macauley (Sheffield), 42 heifers at $260 to $284; A. F. McArthur and Sons (Whitecliffs), 42 Hereford and Angus cross steers at $324 to $352, and 28 heifers at $262 to $272; N. A. Macfarlane (Rotherham), 49 Angus-Shorthorn cross steers at $326 to $372; G. Deovoll (Christchurch), 7 Hereford heifers at $284, and 4 Angus and Angus cross steers at $344; M. G. Hurford (Irwell), 14 heifers at $250 to $254.

Two-year cattle: W. E. Dawson (Glentui), 16 steers at $434 to $492; L. Waghorn (Little Akaloa), 6 steers at $430; Estate C. B. Thacker (Okains Bay), 16 Angus cross steers at $464 to $478; A. S. Hay (Pigeon Bay), 29 Angus and Angus cross heifers at $3OO to s3so;' G. T. Harding (Taitapu), 15 Angus and Angus cross heifers at $294 to $348.