POOR DEMAND FOR LAMB

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 101, 23 January 1933, Page 12

POOR DEMAND FOR LAMB

New Season’s Prices Unchanged WETHER MUTTON STOCKS LOW Owing to the colder weather in England the lamb trade is rather slow, according to advice received by the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board from its London office on Saturday. Prices are unchanged for the small quantity of new season’s lamb so far available. The wether mutton jnarket is very firm owing to short spot stocks. The ewe mutton market is quiet, with trade slow. There has been more inquiry for beef, with slightly better prices for forequarters. New Zealand lightweight porker pigs are meeting with a good demand. The New Zealand Meat Board has received the following cable from its London office advising that the following are the approximate average prices realised for the week ended January 20, based on actual transactions of wholesale quantities of the descriptions of meat mentioned and are for representative parcels of the goods offering during the week, being for business done on the basis of delivered to Smithfield market and/or ex London stores (prices for the two previous weeks in parentheses) : — New Zealand Sheep.—Canterbury and North Island selected crossbred wethers and maideu ewes: 4Slb to 561 b, 43d (4Jd, 4Jd) ; 571 b to 641 b, 5d (sd, 4 7-Sd); 651 b to 721 b, 5d (sd. 4 7-8 d). North Island ditto: 481 b to 561 b, 4 5-Sd (4 5-Sd, 4 5-Sd) ; 571 b to 641 b, 5d (ad, 4 7-Sd) ; 651 b to 721 b, 5d (ad, 4 7-8 d). Ewes; 481 b and under, 3Jd (3Jd. 33d) ; 481 b to 641 b, 3 l-8d (3 l-Bd, 3 1-Sd); 651 b to 721 b, 27-8 d (2 7-Bd, 27-8 d). New Zealand Lambs.—Canterbury: 361 b and under, not quoted; 371 b to 421 b, not quoted ( —•, 5 5-8 d) ; 431 b to 501 b, not quoted; second quality, average 301 b, not quoted. Other South Island brands: 361 b and under, not quoted; 371 b to 42 lb, not quoted ( —, 54d) ; 431 b to 501 b, not quoted. New season’s selected North Island brands, including Downs: 361 b and under, 7Jd (74d) ; 371 b to 421 b, 74 <1 (74d) ; 431 b to 501 b, not quoted; second quality, average 301 b, 6-jd (64d). Other North Island brands: First quality, 361 b and under, 7Jd (7}d) ; 371 b to 421 b, 71d (7|d) ; second quality, average 301 b, 6Jd (6}d).' T k / Australian Lambs (new seasons). — Victorian, first quality: 361 b and under, 6d (6 l-Bd. 64d.) ; 371 b. to 421 b., sd. (5 1-Sd, 5 1-Sd). Argentine Lamb (first quality, new season’s). —361 b and under, 54d (53d, 59d) ; 371 b to 421 b, 5 l-8d (5 l-Bd, sd). New Zealand Beef. —Ox fores: 3d (2 7-Bd, 2Jd). Ox hinds: 3Jd (3Jd, 3Jd). Cow fores and hinds not quoted. Argentine Chilled Beef.—Ox fores: 4}d (43d, 3 7-8 d). Ox hinds: 6d (5Jd, 4 7-8 d). . r , „ „ Australian Frozen Beef.—Ox crops: Over 1001 b, 3 3-8 d (3 3-Bd, 3id). Ox hinds: Over 1601 b, 3 7-Sd (3 7-Sd, .3 7 New Zealand Prime Porker Pigs.—6o lb to SOIb, 6Jd (63d, 63d) ; Sllb to 1001 b, sjd (53d, 55d) ; 1201 b to 1601 b, 53<1 (s|d, SM). 'New Zealand Baconer Pigs.—l2olb to 1601 b, ,5d (sd, sd). New Zealand Frozen Veal. —Not quoted.. (Received Jan. 22, 6.30 p.m.) London, Jan. 21. Australian Sheep.—Second quality crossbred and/or Merino wethers. 30/55 lb.. 34d: ditto ewes, 30/551b, 3 3-Sd. Argentitui Lambs. —First quality, second quality, average about 281 b, 53d. Rabbits. —First large, ex store, 18/6. Private Market Advices The Bank of New Zealand, produce department, has received the following advice from its London office as at close of business last week: —Only a limited business in wether mutton has been done at more or less nominal prices. The market for ewes is dull. There is only a poor demand for lambs. Lower prices are 'expected in the near future owing to larger supplies arriving. There is a better inquiry for beef. Trade generally is slow owing to the bad weather. Prices: Wethers, light 4 5-8 d to 5d per lb. heavy 4Jd to 4 7-Sd. Ewes, 2jd to 3 5-Sd. Lambs, 2’s, 7-Jd to 74d; S’s, 7d to 73<1; 4’s, 63d to GJd: seconds,. 6.1 d to 6Jd. Ox hinds. 31d to 3}d ; fores, 25-8 d to 3d. Cow hinds, 3d to 3Jd; fores, 23-8 d to 2 5-Bd. COUNTRY STOCK SALES Better Values for Store Sheep Dominion Special Service. Gisborne, Jan. 21. At the Gisborne live stock sale fat sheep advanced 9d. Fairly good lambs brought from 9/- to 9/10, and secondgrade ewes of good quality from 5/- to 5/6. The store entry totalled 3600 head. Following splendid rains and humid conditions there was a buoyant sale, and all were sold tinder the hammer, the advance averaging a shilling. Ewes, sixyear, 4/4 to 5/4; 5-ycar, quality, 7/7: good, 6/8; 4-yenr, good, 7/1; 3-year, 7/1 to 7/8; 4-tooths, 7/7 to 8/4; two-tooths, 9/-; old ewes, forward. 4/- to 4/8; medium. 2/7 to 3/1; wethers, average 2tootlis, 8/7 to 9/1.; fairly good, 8/-: lambs, best. G/i ; fairly good, 5/- to. 5/3; good medium sorts, 4/4 to 4/8; pigs, quality slips, 15/6; weaners, choice, 14/-; good, 11/-. Keen Competition for Sheep At the Feilding stock sale on Friday Abraham and Williams, Ltd.,, submitted a good yarding of sheep, comprised chiefly of rape iambs. These met very keen competition mid a total clearance under the hammer at prices very satisfactory io vendors was effected. A line of 500 two-tooth ewes sold freely in lots. Small tail-end lambs were keenly competed for by the dairy farmers. An average yarding of store cattle was submitted, the inquiry for these being practically nil. The quality in the fat cattle section was not up to the usual standard, consequently prices eased slightly on the previous quotations. Only a small entry of dairy cattle came forward. prices showing no alteration on recent sales. Quotations: — Fat. Sheep.—Fat. ewes, 6/2 to 6/G: fat wethers, to 12/7; fat lambs. 11/7. 11/8, 11/9, 12/3, 12/7 to 13/1. Store sheep: B.f. rape lambs. 6/2, 7/7, 8/3, 8/6, 9/-, 9/9. 9/10, to 10/2; w.f. lambs, 2/5, 3/-, 3/2, 4/1, 6/1. 6/6 to 6/11; two-tooth ewes, 9/9, 12/2. 13/2. to 13/3; aged store ewes, 3/8 to 4/-. Fat Cattle. —Fat heifers, £3, £3/2/-, £3/10/-. £3/15/-; fat cows, £2/10/-; fat cows, dairy-bred. £l/8/-, £l/11/-, £2 1/-. Store cattle: Jersey heifers, r.w.b., 31/-; store cows, 7/6, 10/-, to .12/6; potter bulls, £3 to £3/6/-. Dairy cattle: Springing cows, £3/10/-; cows iu milk, £3/2/6.

MARKING OF MEAT

Opposition from New Zealand

Lpndou, Jan. 20.

At the meat marking inquiry to-day, counsel read Australian and New Zealand cables opposing marking meat on the grounds th’at it would depreciate its value. A Smith-field butcher said branded legs of Australian mutton fetched Ad per lb less than those unmarked. A bacon manufacturer said he favoured marking, ns carcases of pork from New Zealand and other countries cured here were sold as “Wiltshire,”