FALL IN PRICES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 116, 17 April 1939, Page 5

FALL IN PRICES.

SHEEP-FARMERS’ POSITION. WELLINGTON, April 17. Discussing the present position lacing New Zealand sheep-farmers, Mr A. P. O’Shea, Dominion secretary of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, referred to the substantial drop in prices in the Wellington province, and said that in South Island districts where ewes were not suitable to the same extent for fat-lamb breeding, the position was considerably worse. “It is not generally realised how serious the position of the sheep-farm-er really is.” said Air O’Shea in an interview, “but the fact that the Easier conference of the New Zealand Labour Party has drawn attention to it is rather heartening. The fall in ewe prices should bring the public to a realisation of just bow bad the position actually is.” Mr O’Shea quoted from a return showing prices received by stations in the Wellington province last year and this year. They were as follow:

The. table also showed that ewe lambs, which were making 16s 3d to 24s 6d in 1938, are bringing 13s lOd to 18s Cd this year. The figures, said Mr O’Shea, were representative figures selected for him bv a stock and station agency. "I asked the agency,” he added, “to take representative stations, and it will be seen from the numbers quoted in the sales that these vary from large to small places. It will be seen also that at the bigger stations there has been a very large drop indeed. It would ! be possible to obtain worse figures than these, but those that have been given | to me are representative, and it should I be emphasised that they are not sclectI ed in order to make a case.”

2000 5-year ewes 1933 S ll 25 0 1939 S ll 20 0 300 5-ycar cues 25 6 17 6 Annual draft of 4-vear ewes 23 6 to 18 6 20 0 100 2-iooih ewes 36 7 29 1 175 2-tootli ewes 34 7 24 6 40 2-tooth ewes 40 0 32 0 400 7-year ewes 13 0 9 C