Beef Cattle Supply Improves In Northland

Northern Advocate, 16 July 1949, Page 3

Beef Cattle Supply Improves In Northland

THE supply of beef cattle in Northland sales was slightly better during the past week, as farmers nave been forced by the bad weather to place store and beef cattle on the market. Close up dairy types showing quality are still meeting a keen market, but the supply is short. The effect of the new season has not yet been felt in the pig sections, although good stores and slips command gootUprices.

During the week prime bullocks made £2l at Waiotira, where the best beef cattle in Northland usually change hands.

tjoned 3-year-old Shorthorn bullocks, £ls; large store pigs, £3/2/6 to £4/3/-; slips. £2 to £2/3/-. The same firms reported the following prices at Waiottra: Friesian cows. £lO/12/6 „o £l3; prime fat cows. £ls/7,6: fat cows and heifers, £l2/14/6 to £l3/5/-; lai heifers, £l6/4/-; fat bullocks, £2l: boner cows, £4/10/- to £6/16/-: store cows. £7/15/-; boner bulls. £lO. A total clearance of the small yarding of cattle offered was effected at Towai where ruling rates were realised. Prices were: Good Jersey cows. £1.2; backward and inferior. £6 to £0; crossbred cows. £9 to £10; good Jersey heifers, £l3/10/-.

Fat cow and heifer beef at the same sale made to £l6/4/- under keen competition from local butchers and exporters.

Shorthorn bullocks at Maungakaramea sold for £l6/12/6, and three-year-olds made £ls.

A few sheep were sold at Peria, where fat ewes and wethers made £l/19/3. At Kamo a line of ewes realised £2. and small hoggets £l/2/-. Heavy lines of pigs are still not coming forward, but good stores and slips sold well at late rates. Pastures in the Whangarei district are still looking well, although farmers who were heavily stocked late in the autumn are a little short of feed. Although the weather has been b.leak. the rainfall has not been unusually heavy, and conditions on most farms are not hopelessly muddy. Nevertheless, stock moving has been restricted to a minimum, except for cattle which farmers have been compelled to place on the market as feed has become scarce. DISTRICT QUOTATIONS A good yarding of dairy stock and an improved entry of pigs sold well at Kamo this week, making late rates. Quotations were:—Best dairy cows, £l2 to £l3: good Jersey cows, £9/15/- to £ll/10/-: backward and inferior. £6/5/- to £B/10/-: Shorthorn cows, close to profit. £l2/15'-; small Jersey heifers, £7/12/6 to £B/5/-; yearling Jersey heifers, £3/2/6 to £4; fat Jersey cows. £B/15/-; • heavy boner cows. £6/2/6 to £7/10/-; medium boner cows. £4/15/- to £5/6/-; light. £3/10/- to £4; small hoggets, £l/2/-; ewes. £2: store pigs. £4; slips. £2/10/-; breeding sows. £lO to £l3/12/6. Messrs Wright. Stephenson and Co., Ltd., reported a small yarding of cattle, sheep and pigs at Peria where quotations were: Ayrshire cross dairy cows. £ls; Shorthorn cows, £lO/15/- to £l2: yearling Jersey heifers, £G: ewe hoggets, £l/11'-; mixed fat ewes and wethers. £1 19/3: store pigs. £l/10/-.

The Loan and Mercantile Agency Co.. Ltd., Messrs Allred Buckland and Sons and Walter Wakelin Ltd . and the North Auckland Farmers handled fair yardings of dairy and store cattle at Muungakaramea.

Quotations were: Jersey cows, £9/17/6 to £ll/5/-: backward and inferior, £7 to £B/17/6; Jersey heifers. £l2/10/-; Shorthorn cows, £B's/- to £l4/10/-; fat Jersey cows. £B/15/- to £10: heavy boner cows, £5 to £6; light. £3/15/- to £4/6/-; forward conditioned 4-year-old Shorthorn bullocks. £l6/12/6; forward condi-