ADDINGTON MARKET

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 December 1940, Page 14

ADDINGTON MARKET

FAT SHEEP PRICES RISE. [PER PRfSS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH, December 5. 1 There was a small offering of fat sheep, at yesterday’s Addington market, and prices lor all classes rose, the best ewes and wethers being up to 3/per head dearer. Prices for fat lambs were'slightly lower. Fat cattle were again cheaper, in spite of a smaller yarding. Store sheep: The yarding totalled about 1500 head,, and was mainly composed of wethers, but with a better showing of ewes and lambs. The feature of the market was the disposal of the annual draft of 860 fine-woolled shorn wethers from E. F. J. Grigg (Meadowbank, Marlborough). These wethers, of mixed ages, met with an excellent demand at satisfactory prices. One line of 216 two.-tooths topped the sale at 17/9, with a further 320 at 17/-. Local four-tooth wethers realised 16/6. The ewes and lambs improved in value by about 1/6 a head. The best of these, with average lambs and fair sound-mouthed ewes, made 15/9, with another good pen at 15/6? Average sorts made to 14/2, with rough to 11/6. Fat sheep: Strong outside competition and a relatively short entry made the sale keen. The entry totalled about 400 head and was of good quality. A large consignment of wethers was expected from the Chatham Islands, shipped by the Holmwood, but of course they did not turn up, and wethers were scarce. Prices for the best wethers fully made up the 3/- loss recorded last week, and medium wethers were up 2/- a head. The best ewes were keenly sought, and rose in price by 2/- to 2/6 a head. Light and unfinished ewes were also dearer, the rise being about 1/-. Wether mutton was bought at up to 6d per lb and in cases a little more, and ewes made to s£d per lb, with odd sales at a little more. Extra prime heavy wethers, to 42/7; prime heavy wethers, 35/- to 38/6; prime medium-weight wethers, 31/6 to 34/6 ordinary wethers, 27/6 to 31/-; light wethers, to 27/-; extra prime heavy ewes, to 36/4; prime heavy ewes, 29/6 to 33/6; prime medium-weight ewes, 25/- to 29/-; ordinary ewes, 21/- to 24/6; light ewes, to 20/6. Fat lambs were again of excellent quality. The market opened at a shade easier than last, week’s opening rates, but maintained these prices well, with good lambs making 8d to Bld in odd cases. The bulk of the yarding sold at a little more than the export schedule. The entry totalled about 550 head, compared with 400 head last week.

Fat cattle: Though there was a smaller yarding, 411 head as against 482 head last week, the sale was dull, and prices were again lower. The duality of the offering was fairly good, but there was not a great showing of really high-grade mediumweights. The best beef was down by 10/ to 15/- a head, except for me-dium-weights, which were not so badly affected. Plain steers and cows of all sorts were from £ 1 to 25/- a head lower. Good beef made from 37/6 to 40/- per 1001 b, with some of the choicest medium-weights to 45/-. A great deal of the yarding was sold below 37/6. Extra prime heavy steers to £22/10/-; prime heavy steers, £l5 to £l7/10/-; prime medium-weight steers, £l4/10/- to £18; ordinaiy steers, £9 to £l3; light steeis to £B/10/-; extra prime heifers to £l6 2/6: prime heifers, £ll to £l2/5/—, medium heifers, £B/5/- to £lO/15/-, light heifers to £8; extra prime cows to £l6; prime cows, £B/5/- to £11; medium cows, £6/10/- to, £8; light cows to £6/5/-. Vealers: A medium yarding of veal, of which the quality was mixed. The demand was better, and prices weie 5/- to 7/- a head better than they were at last week’s easier sale. Good quality calves, which were scarce, were particularly keenly sought. Large runners to £7/18/6; medium runners, £5/16/- to £6/13/6, good vealers, £4/18/6 to £5/10/-; medium vealers, £3/12/6 to £4/3/6; large calves, 48/- to £3/6/-; medium calves, 35/- to 46/-; small calves, 9/to 28/-. n Store cattle: There was a smaller entry Values all round were easier in sympathy with the lower beef prices. One pen of 10 three-year-ola Hereford steers made £lO/3/6, but it was the only quality pen in the offering. Fresh cows made from £4/3/b to £5/13/6, with poorer sorts down to £3. Bulls were more numerous and made up to £lO. Dairy cattle: The entry was about 60 head, comprising mainly old and nondescript sorts. Good cows, which were very few in number, met with a good inquiry. One extra good Frie-. .sian cow made £l3/15/-, but from one or two isolatedsales, the range of values receded, by 20/ a head on last week’s rates. Best second and third calvers made from £lO/10/- to £l3/15/-, medium £7 5/- to £B/10/-, low-conditioned and inferior £B/10/- to £5/5/-. heifers made to £lO, medium £< to £B/15/-, and smaller to £5/10/-. Fat pigs: The entry was about the same size as that of last week. Values opened on a par with last week s rates, and remained firm till the last two races, when an easing of 3/- to 4/- a head was noticeable. Choppers were in very small supply, and the sale was the best for a considerable time Bacohers were again in full supply. Values from the outset were higher by 4/- to 5/- a head than they were last week, and remained at that level. Choppers, £4/8/6 to £9/6/-; light porkers, 51/6 to 58/6; medium porkers. 59/6 to £3/3/6; heavy porkers, £3/4/6 to £3/8/6; average price per lb, 73d to 83d; light baconers, £3 12/6 to £4/3/6; medium baconers, £4/4/6 to £4/9/6; heavy baconers, £4/10/6 to £4/17/6; extra heavy baconers, £4/18/6 to £5/3/6, average price per lb, 63d to Store pigs: There was a full entry, a good proportion of the market being made up of rough and plain sorts. Good quality pigs were keenly sought and almost recovered the big drop recorded last week. Good weaners were scarce and met p keen sale, Small weaners, 18/- to 22/-; medium weaners, 23/- to 26/-; best weaners, to 30/-; slips, 28/- to 33/-; small stores, 32/- to 36/-; medium stores, 37/- to 42/-; large stores, 45/- to 52/-.