STOCK AND PRODUCE MARKETS

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LVIII, Issue 66, 20 August 1937, Page 5

STOCK AND PRODUCE MARKETS

The city has returned to normality after the week of racing-. Everybody who had an urge to hie to Riccarton : and Addington seemed to have plenty lof money to spare. Mr Nash had thousands of people working for him jlast week in Christchurch. Although I the clubs will not wax fat on the net proceeds of the week's racing, the Government will come out very well. The return to the Treasury, without any collecting expenses, is £30,000, not a bad week's work, even for a ! Government. STOCK VALUES. The resumption of the stock market after the National holidays brought heavy entries of stock, and values showed some rather pronounced "trends. .For instance, there was a very heavy showing of wethers in the fat section which sold at 325. to 345. Whilst really good wethers were making about 8s to 10s a head more, the inference is that these lowpriced wethers were well below the fat standard. Such was the case, and their entry in such numbers suggests that feed is very short. They were up to 2s 6d a head cheaper than at the National market, and for anybody with feed they appeared good value in view of the fleece they will clip a few months hence. Aged ewes are coming into the store sheep market for much the same reason as unfinished wethers. Feed is scarce in some districts. Young ewes, however, are meeting with a sound demand and 37s was realised for a two-tooth line. With the value of the lamb and the clip credited the ewes in the autumn ahould not be standing at very much of a debit in the buyer's books. Fat cattle now coming forward are not very attractive, except for a small proportion. Yet the demand continues good, and at Wednesday's sale there was quite an amount of beef which made round about 35s per 1001b. Even aged cows, carrying little flesh, are selling well, the big I army of suburban butchers providing a good market for this class. The strong feature of the market recently at Addington has been the fat pig section. On Wednesday porkers made up to 7£d per Ib. and baconers to 7d. These prices have rarely been reached at Addington at this time of year, and must make those fatteners who supplied the market for many years at 3Jd to 4d per lb. recall the past somewhat ruefully. One of the main sources of supply of the fat pig a few decades ago was the Ellesmere district. With the production of pig fattening feeds there it would appear that something of the old degree of production could

A WEEKLY REVIEW

SHARP RISE IN POTATOES

(Specially written for The Guardian)

be undertaken with a certainty of satisfactory financial results. In comparison with fat pigs, stores are selling cheaply. Quite good stores can be bought for under 255.

Another section that maintains high prices, and which never has enough of the type wanted by butchers, are vealers. If dairymen would carry their calves a few months beyond the "bobby" stage they would benefit. SMALL SEEDS AND POTATOES. Potatoes have taken a rapid jump upwards. It is uncertain whether the cause is a shortage of supplies or the machinations of the trading fraternity. There are now fair supplies going to the North Island, but the commencement of this trade was late this year, and in the aggregate not a great quantity is likely to go before the influence of the new northern crop is felt on the Auckland market. The quantity exported to South America has exceeded all expectations, and cargoes are still on the way. Prospects of a permanent outlet to this market are very bright, but they will not be improved- by end-of-season shipments", when " the keeping quality of the potatoes may | not be maintained. The route, however, is a favourable one from this point of view. In the meantime, values to farmers range from £9 10s to £10 a ton, but even at this exceptional price not a great quantity of potatoes are passing. It is understood that the high price has prompted some interests to approach the Government to remove the duty on Australian potatoes, but there is little prospect of this proposal being acceded to. It is not plain that there jis any scarcity of supplies for local needs, and it has been suggested that the request to the Government has other causes- behind it. The seeds market is about as lifeless as it can possibly be. It is yet too early for the spring trade. Prices have shown little variation over the last month, and in any case most of the seed is in merchants' hands. WOOL PROSPECTS. The wool sale held in the city during the week was rather disappointing, some of the offering of halfbreds being passed. A notable absentee from the competition was Japan, which is otherwise busily engaged, but little of the wool offered suited the Japanese trade. The sale is not regarded by the wool trade as indicating a steadying of values. At an odds and ends sale big buying interests do not desire to set a level which may give an inflated.idea of the ensuing season's prices.