LIVE STOCK MARKET

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 28 September 1940, Page 7

LIVE STOCK MARKET

THIS WEEK'S BLENHEIM SALE TOO MANY SHEEP OFFERING PRICES NOTICEABLY LOWER A yarding of 750 fat sheep again proved too large for local requirements at this week’s Blenheim stock sale, and prices were noticeably lower, (states the “Express’). In the case of good finished wethers prices were down by only about a shilling, but ewes were selling far below that figure. Apart from the over-supply another factor was that a large proportion of the sheep offered were very much on the light side and some of them might have been better classified as forward stores. Some of the wethers, for instance, fetched around about the 24s mark, which was approximately their value. Several store drafts, mainly ewes with lambs, and four-tooth wethers, were offered, but perhaps as a result of the slow pace at which the whole sale had been conducted—a good deal of time, for instance, being devoted to the selling of small pens of sheep one at a time —there was practically no one left to bid. Pen after pen was passed in, and finally a number of well-filled pens were left without even being offered. Ewes fetched as high as 33s lOd for a heavyweight trio, while other good sales were made at 33s Id, 32s lOd, 30s lOd, and 30s 4d. Other prime ewes sold at from 26s lOd to 29s lOd. Mediumweights found buyers at from 21s 4d to 25s lOd, and lightweights at as low as 15s 4d. Shorn ewes brought as much as 24s lOd, but very few were offering. At the previous week’s sale the range was from 8s lOd to 33s 4d and 38s 4cl for an exceptionally heavy specimen. Wethers topped the market at 43s Id for two outstanding sheep, while other individual sales were made at 42. s 4d and 40s 4cl Attractive pens realised 37s 7d (Dumgree estate), 36s 4d, 35s lOd, 34s lOd, 33s lOd, and down to 33s Id, while lighter weights were quitted at from 22s Id to 29s lOd. Shorn wethers sold at 14s lOd and 16s 4d. Last week the price-range was 24s lOd to 38s lOd: