FOR FARMERS Fat Wethers And Steers Ease In Value At Addington

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 July 1947, Page 10

FOR FARMERS Fat Wethers And Steers Ease In Value At Addington

The recession in fat wether values which set in, two weeks ago, continued at the Addington market yesterday. Over-all values were about 4s lower than last week, but nevertheless the prices were high. In a mediocre fat lamb yarding values showed little change. Here the high price of 60s Id was paid for three lambs. Fat cattle were offered in large numbers and best steer beef was easier by up to 20s a head, but other classes remained unchanged. Dairy cattle values were the best for several seasons. The porker and chopper entries,were much larger than recently and values for both classes eased—choppers by £3 to £4 a head. Store Sheep.—The store sheep yarding totalled 1395. head, against 850 last week. The offering included 850 lambs. In general, the quality of the yarding was better than at recent sales. Prices for all classes were very firm, and in the case of the best lambs, Is better than last week’s prices. The best price for lambs was 36s for an outstanding line of halfbred ewe lambs. Other lines of ewe lambs made 32s 6d and 335. Best price for wether lambs was 32s 6d. Good lambs made from 24s to 275, and others from 18s to 23s 3d. Fat Lambs. —The entry in the fat lamb section totalled 561, compared with 734 last week Few really prime butchers’ lambs were on offer. The top price, 60s Id, was the highest since the opening last December. Several single entries sold at prices ranging between 5,1 s and 565. Values were: extra prime fat lambs, 48s to 60s Id; prime fat lambs, 42s to 475; good fat lambs, 35s to 41s; medium lat lambs, 29s to 345; light fat lambs, 25s to 28s.

Fat Sheep.—The fat sheep entry of about 4500, compared with 5500 last week, was the first offering of normal winter size since the close of the export buying season. Values were: Extra prime heavy wethers, 50s to 59s 7d; prime heavy wethers, 43s to 495; prime medium-weight wethers, 37s to 425; ordinary and light wethers, 30s to 365; prime heavy ewes, 44s to 50s Id; prime medium-weight ewes, 36s to 435; ordinary ewes, 31s to 355; light and unfinished ewes, 20s to 30s. Fat Cattle. —A large proportion of the yarding consisted of steers, some of them of exceptional quality, and very Tittle second-class beef was on offer. Over the whole sale, the best steers were a full £1 a head below last wee'k’s rates. Best beef made 62s 6d per 1001 b with some sales at 655, good beef to 555, medium beef 35s to 40s, best cow beef to 40s, and secondary cow beef to 355. Values were: Extra prime heavy steers to £36 17s 6d; prime heavy steers, £2O to £23; prime medium-weight steers, £l7 to £l9 10s; ordinary and light steers £l3 10s to £l6 10s; extra' prime heifers, £22 2s 6d; prime heifers, £l3 to £l7; ordinary and light heifers, £8 to £l2; extra prime cows, to £l7 17s 6d; prime cows, £lO to £l4; ordinary and light cows, £6 10s to £9 10s.

West Coast sales included: Sullivan Bros (Weheka) 8 steers at £25 12s 6d to £25 17s 6d; W. A. Jamieson, (Koiterangi), 5 heifers at £l7 17s 6d to £lB 2s 6d, and 2 cows at £l6 2s 6d; F. Pamment (Wataroa), 5 heifers at £l2 17s 6d to £l5.

Vealers. —Values were: prime large vealers £8 18s Gd to £l2 18s 6d; good vealers, £6 3s Gd Io £7 18s Gd; best quality suckers, £6 8s Gd to £7 18s Gd; medium suckers, £4 18s Gd to £5 11s; large calves, £2 18s to £3 14s; medium calves, 38s to 565; small and rough calves, down to 18s. Store Cattle. —Steers made £l2 12s 6d to £l4 15s. The best of the steer calves sold at £7. Mixed sex calves were sold down to £4 IGs.

Dairy Cattle, —Again there was a small entry in the dairy cattle section, comprising approximately 55 head. Quality thorughout was only fair. Best, second, third, and fourth calvers made from £2O to £2B; good average sorts, £l3 10s to £18; aged and unattractive, £7 10s to £ll 10s; cull sorts', down to £3 10s. Fat Pigs.—The yarding of porkers was much larger than that of last week, and the sale, although good, was 2s to 3s a head easier. Values were: light porkers, £3 12s 6d "to £3 19s Gd; medium porkers, £4 3s 6d to £4 9s 6d; heavy porkers, £4 14s 6d to £5 2s 6d; choppers, £3 18s 6d to £ll Is; light baconres, £5 14s 6d to £G Is 6d; medium baconers, £6 4s Gd to £6 14s 6d; heavy baconers, £6 19s 6d to £7 7s 6d; extra heavy baconers, £7 9s Gd to £7 14s Gd. Average price per lb, 9ld to 10-ld. Store Pigs.—The sale opened out with values slightly easier than last week, but they firmed as the sale progressed, and finished fully on a par with last week’s rates. Values were: weaners, 23s to 40s; slips, 42s to 455; small stores, 48s to 545; medium stores, 56s to 625; large stores, 63s to 695.