COMMERCIAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 May 1928, Page 8

COMMERCIAL

ADDINGTON MARKET

(Per Presi Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, May 30. Except in fat cattle, fat sheep, and pigs, yardings of stock were somewhat smaller than the week’s before. There was a falling off in the quality of the store sheep that came forward, and there was a weaker demand than has been the case this season. There was a large attendance of buyers. The numbers and quality of fat lambs penned were below that of previous weeks, but there was nevertheless a very keen demand, and sales were made in some cases at over schedule rates. A large yarding of fat sheep was about the best of the season for quality, and a very sound sale resulted. There was little or no change in the values of beef though it was considered that cows and rough sorts were easier than at last week, but the sale throughout was good. There was an over-supply of pigs, and the sales were made at reduced rates. Store Sheep: The yarding of store sheep was the smallest of the season and the quality especially of lambs, was very ordinary. The demand for ordinary store lambs has now apparently slackened off since the winter weather has set in. Bidding lacked keenness and prices were easier by 1/- to 1/6 per head, ewe-lambs, showing a greater decline. The market for adult sheep also showed want of animation, aged ewes being down 1/- per head, whilst a number of lots were passed. Good mouthed ewes were more readily saleable. The wethers that offered were of a moderate quality. The range of prices was: Extra good i-bred ewe lambs to 33/3, good i-bred ewe lambs to 28/6, good g-bred ewe lambs to 28/-, ordinary g-bred ewe lambs 24/- to 26/6, rape lambs 21/6 to 23/-, backward lambs 19/3 to 21/-, inferior lambs 17/- to 19/-, two tooth J-bred ewes 1 to 31/10, four and six and eight tooth J-bred ewes 28/6 to 31/6, inferior 4, 6 and 8tooth ewes 21/6 to 24/-, extra good 2-tooth | bred ewes to 38/-, extra good 2-tooth cross-bred ewes to 34/9, good 4, 6 and’S-tooth cross-bred ewes 27/3 to 30/6, aged ewes 14/6 to 19/-, good 2-tooth g-bred wethers to 33/3, good 4, 6 and 8-tooth i-bred wethers 29/to 31/3, ordinary 4,6, and 8-tooth A bred wethers 26/6 to 28/-. Fat Lambs: There was an entry of 2,950 as compared with 2,900 the previous week, and there was a fallingoff in quality as well as numbers. There was a keen demand for all prime lambs, exporters in some cases taking about schedule rates. Light and unfinished stores were easier. Extra prime lambs sold at 38/- to 40/7, prime lambs 34/- to 37/-, medium 29/6 to 33/-, light 26/- to 29/- stores 22/- to 25/6.

Fat Sheep: The yarding of fat sheep was about equal to last week’s in numbers. There was a larger proportion of prime sheep. There was brisk competition throughout between export buyers and butchers and the previous week’s rates were fully maintained. Extra prime heavy wethers to 44/7, prime wethers 35/6 to 39/-, medium wethers 32/- to 35/-, light wethers 30/- to 31/-, extra prime ewes to 41/4, prime ewes 29/6 to 33/6, medium ewes 25/6 to 29/-, light ewes 21/- to 25/-, poor conditioned and aged ewes 17/6 to 20/-.

There was a. fairly heavy yarding of fat cattle, a total of 560 against 540 in the previous week. There was a scarcity, however, of prime steers, the great bulk of offerings being cows and heifers or mixed quality and unfinished steers. The break in the weather evidently caused graziers to send forward any stocks at all fit to market. Cows and heifers’ as usual were mostly of the dairy types. The market opened at about the previous week’s rates for all prime quality cattle, and remained fairly firm throughout for ordinary cows. For rough and unfinished cattle, the sale 'was somewhat irregular, with a slight'ly easier tendency. Best steer and heifer beef sold up to 41/- per 100 lbs., good prime quality 37/6 to 39/-, medium quality 34/6. to 37/-, heavy weight steers 32/- to 35/6, good cows 32/- to 35/- and rough sorts down to 25/-. The range of prices was: Extra prime heavy steers to £22/17/6, prime heavy steers £l5/15/- to £lB/12/6, prime handy weight steers £l3/10/-, to £l5/10/-, ordinary quality steers £lO/10/- to £l3/5/-, light steers £7 5/- to £lO/5/-, extra, prime heifers to £l3/7/6, prime heifers £lO/10/- to £l3/7/6, prime heifers £lO/10/- to £l2/10/-, ordinary heifers £7/15/- to £lO/15/-, light heifers £4/12/6 to £7/10/-, extra prime cows to £l4 17/6, prime cows £lO to £l2, medium cows £7/5/- to £9/15/-, light and aged cows £4/2/6 to £7. There was a moderate entry of store cattle, made up principally of cows of various ages, with an odd pen or two of rough steers and light heifers, and a number of bulls, the sale was good throughout. Two year steers £7, forward two year heifers £5/17/6, medium cows £2/10/- to £3/10/-, inferior cows 30/- to £2, bulls £3 to £lO. The entry of dairy cattle totalled 51 head. Cows and heifers close to calving met a good demand, but small heifers and backward calvers were harder to quit than has been the case for a week or two. Best secured third and fourth calvers £lO to £l5/15/-, medium sorts £8 to £9/10/-, inferior sorts £5/10/- to £7/10/-, best heifers to £ 12/5/-, small and backward heifers £4/10/- to £7/10/-, old cows in profit £'3 to £4/5/-. There was a heavy entry in the vealers’ section, which overflowed into the store cattle pens'. There was only a small proportion of prime veal calves, the greater part, of the yarding consisting of yearling to eighteen months sorts many of the pens of these being well finished, but others were only stores. The range of prices was: twelve to eighteen months’ sorts to £7/18/6, good vealers £5/2/6 to £6/15/-, £3/10/- to £5, others 25/to £2/15/-, small calves 5/- to 15/-. There was a large entry of pigs, but the demand was weak and prices were easier all round. Choppers £2 to £5/1/-, light baconers 48/- to 60/-, heavy baconers 65/- to 80/-, extra heavy baconers to £5, average price per lb sid, light porkers 24/- to 30/-, heavy porkers 35/- to 45/-, average price per lb. 51d to Store Pigs: A large yarding, mostly of medium large stores, met with a very poor demand and prices showed further decline. Small weaners 3/- to 4/-, good weaners 5/- to 7/6, small stores 9/- to 11/-, medium stores 12/to 15/-, large stores 16/- to 22/6, Our special correspondent reports: Fat pigs: There was a large entry of fat pigs. The demand was weak and prices were down all round. Choppers £2 to £5 1/-, light, porkers 24/to 30/-, heavy porkers 35/- to 45/-,

average price pej - lb., 51d to 6|d, light baconers 48/- to 60/-, heavy baconei s 65/- to 80/-, extra heavy baconers to £5, average price per lb., sd. to 5Ad. Stors pigs: There was a alrge yarding of store pigs, the entry consisting chiefly of medium and large sized animals. Very few weaners weie forwarded. Prices again were very low under weak competition. Several lots failed to find purchasers. Small weaners 3/- to 4/-, good weaners 5/- to 7/6, small stores 9/- to 11/-, medium stores 12/- to 15/-, large stores 16/- to 22/6. SALE OF JERSEYS NEW PLYMOUTH, May 30. High prices were paid for Jerseys at a sale to-day of cattle submitted on behalf of Samuel Dale, of Fairlie, Canterbury. A consignment of twelve realised 20771 guineas, an average of 173 guineas. The highest price was 400 guineas, paid by Sir Truby King (Stratford) for the cow Xenias Juillette (Imp.) A. E. Watkins, of Tokanini, paid 320 guineas for Odd Trick (Imp). STOCKS AND SHARES WELLINGTON, May 31. Sale on ’Change: Union Bank of Australia (Melbourne register) £l4 18/6. DUNEDIN, May 31. Sales recorded: National Bank of New Zealand £7 5s 3d, E.S. and A. £8 9s 9d, National of Australasia £9 On ’change, National Insurance 15s 6d.

ISLAND FRUIT. (Special to “Star.”) AUCKLAND, May 31. The first direct shipment of fruit from Cook Islands to Auckland, this season, arrived yesterday afternoon, by the Waipahi, the consignment comprising 17,000 cases of oranges, and 800 cases of tomatoes. A shipment of fruit from the Islands was landed at Wellington on the last voyage of the Waipahi, but only a portion of this was railed to Auckland. The present scarcity of oranges on the local market will be relieved by this large consignment and no further shortage is expected before Christmas, as in addition to the winter supply from the Islands, regular consignments will arrive from Sydney for some time to come. These large supplies will be reflected in a reduction of the retail price of oranges of from one-third to one half of the present values. Local hothouse tomatoes are still available on the market in fair quantities, supplemented by fruit from the Hutt Valley. The Waipahi’s cargo of Cook Island tomatoes is so small that it will not affect local prices. Tomatoes from the Islands do not usually arrive in large supplies before the end of June. A slight shortage of bananas is expected toward the end of this week, local stocks being low at present. Next week, the Hinemoa will bring a shipment from Fiji, and another cargo of bananas will arrive by the Tofua the following week, fully supplying the Auckland market for a considerable time.