STORE SHEEP MARKETS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 109, 1 February 1941, Page 8

STORE SHEEP MARKETS

Waipukurau Ewe Values in common with all others concerned with the sheep industry, I feel keen interest in the opening ewe fair of the 1941 season, staged at Waipukurau on Tuesday. The interest was two-fold, lirst, as to the physchology of the market in face of meat shipping position and, secondly, to see how the writer’s predictions of last Saturday were borne out. A point concerning these was the widely-heard talk that older ewes might be at a discount. The argument ran thus: “If one buys a young ewe ->llO is assured that one has time on his side. Almost certainly by the time this has to go to the works, the war will be over. But an old ewe, due nt the works in one or two years’ time, might be unshippable.” As a counter to that. I saw two main facts. First, if everyone so thought and acted, young ewes would so boom and old ewes so slump, as to render the

market advantage nil.. Secondly, I do not believe that old tat ewes will become valueless, for some compensation will almost certainly be invoked to give these a reasonable value, come what Ul Now for the outcome of Waipukurau. From accounts read, knowledge of the sheep available and inquiries made 1 estimate that values for good average ewes were: Two-tootlis, 2'J/-, aud fiveyear ewes, 17/6. . This compares with my predicted prices of 31/6 and 20/-. But as to these adjustment is needed to bring current Waipukurau values into line. My prices were on the basis of Feilding in midFebruary. Current Hawke’s Bay prices require the addition of 1/- a head to cover freight to Feilding, plus 6d. for the time factor. , So viewed, the waipukurau prices equal 30/6 for two-tooths and 19/- for five-year ewes. They were thus just 1/down on each class of cw'e, below the prices predicted. Those who sold their lines privately in Hawke’s Bay early this month have gained quite 4/- over the market as it opened. Such sales were, however, of above “good average” ewes and the real market worth of these would possibly be 2/- a head of that “good average.” Thus ewes privately sold at 22/- would probably have made £1 at the fair. We heard in Hawke’s Bay of good, torward, early-shorn aud twotooth wethers sold generally at 20/6. The four-tooths; generally made 2/- more Cattle were reported firm at fair-time values.