SHEEP WANTED

Evening Star, Issue 21619, 15 January 1934, Page 8

SHEEP WANTED

SHORTAGE Of EWES . BUILDING .UP FLOCKS Enhanced wool values and..». shortage : of stocks have been quickly; reflected in improved prices for . sheep of all • classes, and the belief is encouraged that' sheep farmers who, , through force • of economic stress, were driven , into 1 partial dairy production, will find it profitable in the future to concentrate again on the raising of sheep and wool - (says the Auckland ‘ Star ’). In this prospects are assisted by the unfavour- , able state of the butter market. According to authoritative surveys > there is'an unquestionable, shortage of - wethers of any description, and also of - young ewes for breeding purposes. The - last two years, it is pointed out, have been good “lamb” seasons, and the killings have : been unusually heavy, < mainly because lambs have done exceptionally well., it was only natural that the farmer, in the position in which ho was placed, should’grasp every opportunity of turning everything he > had into ready cash. The ruinous prices ■ prevailing for wool encouraged tew to retain their lambs for wool production, and even : the largest of the stations, < which were in the habit of holding on to their wether lambs, allowed buyers to take what could be killed for exP °ln' effect, as one authority expressed .. it, the last two years saw a fairly general raid on the permanent flocks of the North Island. The position became worse last autumn when prices ' for late lamb for export made a sharp , rise, and this prompted quite a number of owners-to dispose of lambs which 1 they had intended to hold. That .killing included ewe lambs,, which it. had been intended to retain for breeding purposes. The tempting price—it was high only in a relative sense—carried • the day. " For the struggling sheep ’' -owner it was a case of bread and butter and of keeping at bay a wolf which was not one masquerading in sheep s , clothing. Cullings and killings were in numerous instances indiscriminate, and *’ the prediction now is that future cullings will be much more selective. “ Naturally offerings at the sheep fairs ■ have been fewer than was the case last ‘ year, and this; coupled with the increasing demand, induced by' the necessity for replenishing stocks and the . rosy prospects of the rising wool market, has sent prices up. In some quar- • ters it is expected that sheep values will go even higher before the replacement'requirements of farmers are satistied. ' The prediction was made by an ” agent in touch with the trade that if " an accurate census could be taken of u the flocks of New Zealand it would be found that sheep of all classes were be- -• hind normal requirements, and that it ■v would be some time before the deficiency could be made up. Difficulty wsa still being experienced in obtaining *v store wethers, and in some districts x- country which was essentially sheeps' producing was going back for want of proper stocking. Throughout the slump lack of finance had kept stock low, lambs had been .sold indiscrimia nately to enable the farm to be held, « and to-day, with a general shortage of • all classes, the demand was greater - than the supply. In addition, lamb - and mutton, for'export were still meetx ing a good market. ” During recent yeafs there has been *'a tendency in some districts for dairy- ‘ men to take on fat lamb raising as a , , side-line. This a'ctivity will be accentuated by the improved uotlook for the i! wool industry. . According to advices received by some of the stock and station agents, ; there is a good deal of talk among ~ sheep farmers, who. went “ partially . dairy,’’ of returning exclusively to - their former activity, and numbers are at present endeavouring to “ swap .. over.” Although this aim, in the mar jority of Instances, is expected to be s. realised, the point is made that re- - stocking under ruling prices and possibly higher values later may be a ; somewhat costly undertaking. On the ~ other hand, it Is recalled that no one could have foreseen the remarkable

- turn in the wool tide, and it is claimed that with butter prices still scraping i, the bottom of the market and wool 1 values stil Isoaring, logic dictates re- - version to straightout sheep and wool .production, 5