WOOL SEASON

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 259, 29 July 1941, Page 6

WOOL SEASON

Increased Quantity Sold

SMALL CARRY-OVER

A total.of 800,006 bales of greasy wool was appraised and sold by New Zealand wool-brokers during the 1940-41 season under the Government appraisement scheme whereby the wool is purchased on behalf of the British Government. The net weight of the wool dealt with was 273,984,6521 b. The gross value was £ 13,971,978, compared with £12,876,941 for the 1939-40 season, when 740,622 bales were disposed of. The average price a bale was £l7 9/4 as against £l7/7/9. and the average per lb. 12.24 d. as against 12.22 d. This season’s . average weight a bale was 3421 b. as against 3411 b. in 1939-40.

According to Dalgety’s Annual Wool Review, from which these figures are taken, wool-growers realize the value of the appraisement scheme In these uncertain times, and, almost without exception, are most gratified with the results.

The favourable conditions under which the clip was grown were shown in the general characteristics of the wool, which were a decided improvement on those for the previous season. The wool was bulkier in staple and showed better condition and an increased weight a head of stock. Of the 800,000 bales disposed of during the 1940-41 season, crossbreds and all strong wools accounted for 779,029 bales, or 97.38 per cent., and merino for 20,977 bales or 2.62 per cent. The highest prices for merino fleece was 21jd. for three bales, brand Ben Ohau, and one bale brand NZ.L/BIN/85. Other high prices were as follows; —Fine halfbred fleece, four bales, Rydal Downs, 20d.; medium halfbred fleece, four bales, Glengarry, 18td.; coarse halfbred fleece, nine bales, Tauroa, 17jd.; fine crossbred fleece, on<j bale, Okoha/—O—, 17jd.; ditto, two bales, JSW, 17id.; medium crossbred fleece, two bales, RSF in circle, 17d.; coarse crossbred fleece, four bales, Seaview, 15Jd.; low crossbred fleece, seven bales, WLN, 14}d.; Southdown lambs, eight bales, Kaiwarra/210 in block, laid.; crossbred lambs, six bales, Longrange, 16) d.; ditto, seven bales, WLN, 16Jd. Production and Carry-Over. The total production in New Zealand for the 1940-41 season was 948,163 bales, made up of 812,383 bales of greasy wool and 135,780 bales, of sllpe. The f’carry-over” as at June 30 was estimated as follows-Greasy wool, in brokers’ stores, 11,566 bales, In growers’ sheds 10,293 bales, total greasy 21,859 bales; sllpe wool in freezing works, 10,000 bales. The wool sold in the North Island totalled 465,558 bales, averaging 3561 b. a bale. The average price a bale was £l7/17/7 and the average per lb. 12.04 d. The South Island disposed of 334,448 bales averaging 3231 b. a bale, the average price being £l6/16/3 a bale and 12.49 d. a lb. For the whole Dominion the 800,006 bales averaged 3421 b. a bale, the average price, including the final payment to growers, being £l7/9/4 a bale and 12.24 d. per lb. The following table shows the quantities of wool disposed of in the Dominion selling, centres and the average prices in each case: —

Total N.Z. 800,006 17 9 4 12.24 Compared with the previous season the wool sold during the 1940-41 season showed an increase of 59,384 bales and 21.116,4631 b. in net weight. The gross value was higher by £1,095,037, the average price increased by 1/7 a bale ana ,02d. a lb.

Bales sold. Average Average a bale. £ s. d. per lb. d. Auckland .. 98,386 17 6 1 11.84 Blenheim .. 20,290 17 3 3 12.95 Christchurch 88.S34 1615 8 12.68 Dunedin .. 79,484 1617 7 12.42 Gisborne .. 41.402 16 IS 5 11.94 Invercargill 73,771 16 7 3 12.24 Napier .. • 111,006 17 7 9 12.05 Nelson 8,738 15 16 4 12.19 Oamaru 18,348 18 0 9 12.75 Timaru 44,983 1019 10 12.34 Tokomaru Bay 7,730 IS 5 4 12.24 Tolaga Bay 4,379 17 14 4 12.02 Wanganui . 87,426 IS 0 8 11.84 Wellington 115,229 19 1 1 12.38