STUD SHEEP VALUES

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 257, 26 July 1930, Page 4

STUD SHEEP VALUES

Disquieting Fall RECENT SYDNEY SALES The stud sheep sales just completed showed a decrease in values that must cause serious thought, states the “Sydney Morning Herald” of July 11. The fall has been steady for the past three years. In 1928 the average price for merinos was over >£34 a sheep. In 1929 it was about £24, and this year little more than £l2. ■' , Equally disquieting is a comparison of the highest prices received for single sheep. Last year the highest price was 2900 guineas, and this.year 340 guineas. The former price was paid by Mr. W. T. Merriman for an Austin-Wanganella ram, and the latter by Gordon Bros., of Walgett, for a Haddon Rig ram. The figures for the total sales are qlso significant. The six selling companies sold 2592 merinos for £32,084 15/3. Last year 3208 merinos realised £78,003/3/6, and in 1928 2558 were sold for £87,584/7/6. These figures include the special combined sale and the separate merino catalogues of the six companies. At the combined sale’ this year 84 merino rams were sold for £8575/17/6. Last year 119 brought £25,872. The averages were £lO2/1/10 and £217/8/2 respectively. For some years an upset price of 50 guineas was. in force at the combined sale, and a reserve of 10 guineas on single sheep in the separate stud catalogues. The sales committee, explaining that they wished to meet the buyers in a difficult time, abolished all reserves for this year’s sales. As a result, many sheep which normally could not have been bought for less than 50 guineas were sold for less than half that sum. Sheepmen attribute the low values mainly to the general depression, though some blame the export embargo on stud Sheep, which eliminated competition from South African and other overseas buyers. Drought, and the consequent lack of funds among pastoralists,' and the fall in wool» prices, have also played their part in reducing values this year. Stockowners’ Views. In addressing members of the Stockowners’ Association at the annual meeting the president, Mr. Charles Binnie, said: "During the year the fall in the values of wool sheep, and other primary products, has hit our stockowners severely, and with many, whose reserves are in rural lands and live stock, the question of finance to carry on has been an exceedingly difficult problem. “The seasonal difficulties over a wide area of the State have also added greatly to stockowners’ troubles, for the ruling values for shorn stock have not warranted the purchasing of fodder to handfeed stock during drought conditions, had finance been available. It is likely that 1930 shearing will indicate stock losses during the recent hard season.”