COMMERCIAL.

Clutha Leader, Volume XLVII, Issue 51, 24 December 1920, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

'BUTRNe'IEE MARKET. A feature of the Burnside stock salo on Wednesday was the very high.prices realised for lambs; in. fact, it was the dearest lamb sale held at Burnside for some time past, one factor to this end being that, although it was a double sale, lambs were in very short supply. There was the keenest competition on the part of butchers, who were anxious to secure sufficient supplies for the Christmas trade. The number offered was only i 1,21 17 and double could easily have been disposed of. Sheep wero forward in large numbers, and prices wore easier to the extent of about 2s per head. Fat cattle were in short supply, but the quality was excellent. There was very little demand for pigs, and prices were somewhat easier.

Sheep.—-A large yarding, numbering 3,060 head', of good quality. Competition was good. Wothers realised 495, and for prime ewes 39s per head. Very few sheep were forward.

Lambs.—hA small yarding, numbering '1,2111 head, The quality on the whole was good. Competition, was very keen, and the supply was'short of requirements. (Prime lambs sold from 40s to 49s 9d; medium, from 32s to 40s; and inferior sorts, from 24s to 28s per head. These prices showed an advance of fully 5s per head as compared with last week's rates.

Fat 'Cattle.—A medium yarding, totalling '2126 head. Most of the pens contained animals of excellent quality. As there will be no further sales until after the New Year, it was anticipated that there would be a keen demand, and that prices would show an advance on last week's rates.

Store big yarding was offered, which included a few pens of large bullocks in a forward condition. These were sold under fair competition. A large proportion of the yarding was comprised of young and backward cattle, which were hard to dispose of. Several pens of this class were passed in unsold.

Pigs.—A small yarding was offered. The demand was slack, and prices showed an easing tendency. • There was a good supply of stores offered, and these Were sold at prices about equal to late rates.