WAIKATO STOCK MARKET

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21935, 19 October 1934, Page 7

WAIKATO STOCK MARKET

QUIET TONE CONTINUES INTEREST IN LAMB EXPORTS The cattle decline which set in a week or two ago has not yet run its course. It has in recent years become tho custom to start active search for cattle in winter, when few are offering, and this circumstance generally leads to a belief that scarcity exists. This winter the activity was observed much earlier than usual and by the time spring arrived a stage approaching alarm had been reached. Everyone now realises that the scare of shortage had no basis and that our chief difficulty is to cope with the numbers available. Yardings in all localities are extremely heavy and although much is unsuitable to graziers the effect none the less is to depress the tone of the whole. The sharp rise in beef and the no less sharp fall directly after greatly assisted to unsettle matters. Notwithstanding this, forward bullocks still remain the most popular item in the cattle section and at the Frankton special sale this week, competition for this class up to a price was animated. Good quality two-year steers also were in demand but store cows of all breeds seemed to have lost favour. Jersey heifers present the most serious problom and add one more to the many disappointments of the dairyman. Yardings of excellent cattle are to be seen everywhere, but without exciting interest. It cannot be doubted that a disposition to meet tho market would attract many that the high demands have estranged and the sooner some attempt is made to encourage this the better. At present vendors' attitude is to hold, expecting the demand to improve. A good deal of excitement has been caused by the rumour that fat lambs have been purchased at 9d. No assurance that this is to be the opening basis can be obtained, but it is commonlv reported that Bid will be available. At present growers seem' in no hurry to sell, preferring to bring their lambs to full maturity and obtain extra weight advantage. _ ' , Conditions as they affect- the separate sections are: — Beef An average yarding was penned at Frankton this week,. the oxen bei "® of light, medium weight. Values were from 2s to 3s lower. The female was rougher in quality than usual, but even for the best, previous rates were not maintained. Prime medium and light ox eoldl to 245; ordinary 21s to 22s prime heifer, ids prime young cow, 20s to 21s; ordinary co\ , 15s to ISs; rough, 10s to 12s. Mutton.—A normal entry was handled at the Frankton Yards this week, but the tone was not as bright as at recent Bale . "Wethers, which have maintained great tirmness for many weeks, wavered somewhat and some lots were passed. Ewes seemed to maintain their position better, as also did hoggets. Shorn wethers made to 275; woolly to 2Ss; light Bhorn from 22s 6d; light woolly from 235; heavy woolly ewes, "0s to 213 6d; shorn, lfis to 19s 6d; woolly hoggets to 23s 9d; shorn from 17s to 19s. Store Cattle. —Bullocks are the only c l^? s in the section for which there is a sufficient demand and more of these could readily be absorbed. For other classes there seems no regard and great efforts are required to induce competition. A special sale held at Frankton this week was disappointing to many owing to the quality of t" 0 display. Generally it was inferior. The offering of bullocks attracted many buyers, although values were lower than those ruling a few weeks ago (possibly 15s a head), competition was brisk and a complete transfer under the hammer was effected, lhe price of £5 lfis wa3 the top figure for a pen of forward Polled Angus cattle. Two and three-year steers also were sought, a pen of the former (Shorthorns) realising £5 Bs, with lower conditioned lots up to £5. Yearling steers were in fair demand and with vendors anxious to meet the market competition up to n figure was fairly free. Store cows of all breeds were dull, as also were Jersey yearlings, of which many nice lots were displayed. Unless vendors are prepared to lower their estimates business_ seems at an end. For the top pens £2 15s was secured, but not enough buyers were present to give spirit to competiticti. The lack of buyers is noticeable everywhere. Current values are:—Polled Angus bullocks, £5 5s to £5 17s 6d; Hereford, £5 to £5 10s; store bullocks, £4 7s Cd to £5; low condition, from £4; Jersey cross bullocks. £2 10s to £3; 2-year Shorthorn, forward, £4 5s to £4 15s; 2-year stores, £3 6s to £3 15s; yearling steers, Polled Angus, £2 8s to £3: small, from 355; yearling Polled Angus heifers. £2 6s to £3; Polled Angus cows, with calves at foot, £5; forward cows (young), and heifers, £2 to £2 15s; stores, £1 5s to £1 12s fid; 2-year Jersey heifers, 25s to 30s; yearling Jersey heifers, best, to £2 15s; medium, 30s to 355: small, 15s to 22s 6d; culls from ss. Store Sheep.—Tho amount of business passing is of no importance, but much could be done were the material available. Breeding ewes ex Gisborne appear to have become stabilised in . price and forward buying has been considerable at about 18s for 5-year-old3. Wethers off shears locally are selling from 18s to 21s. Pigs.—Yardings, continue very heavy and trading conditions at the moment are easy. Strong competition exists in all centres. At Frankton on Tuesday porkers again advanced, with baconers steadily firm. The price of these was to £3 17s, with lighter weights from £2 15s. Heavy porkers made to £2 10s; light from 35s to £2 2s. 6d. Store pigs also were in very firm demand, good sorts making to 335, with smaller eort3 from 255; slips, 19s to 245; good weanerg, 14s to 19s; smaller, from 10s.

PRICES AT PUKEKOHE [from our own correspondent] PUKEKOHE, Thursday The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, had a full yarding of cattle at its fortnightly stock sale at Pukekohe to-day. The demand for dairy cattle was patchy, but beef and etor© cattle sold at values on a par with late quotations. Best dairy heifers brought from £5 to £5 17s Gd; medium. £-1 to £4 15s; small and backward, £'2 to £3 15s; best dairy cows, £3 to £4 15s; heavy prime, steers, £7 10s to £3; medium, £G 15s to £7 7s Gd; heavy prime cows, £4 10s to £5 7s 6d; medium prime cows, £3 10s to £4 ss; light prime cows, £2 10s to £3 'ss; prime heifers, £3 to £4 12s Gd; killable cows, £l 10s to £2 7s 6d; boner cows, 17s to £1 7s; bulls, lgn to 7gns; best yearling Jersey heifers, £3 to £3 10s; others, £2 5s to £2 15s; medium, £1 )5s to £2 2s; small, £1 to £1 Bs. A heavy yarding of all classes of pigs came forward and competition was keen throughout. with values well up to late Quotations. Choppers realised from £1 10s to £2 14s; heavy prime baconors, £3 7a to £3 12s ; medium, £3 to £3 Gs; light, £2 15s to £2 395; heavy porkers, £2 8s to £2 14s; medium porkers, £2 2s to £2 7s; light porkers, £1 14s to £2 Is; large stores, £1 9s to £1 15s; slips, £1 5s to £1 8s; best weaners, 18s to £1 4s; smaller, 12s to 17s; sows, duo to farrow, £3 5s to 4|gns; Tamworth boars, 2gns to sJgns. HEAVY PIRONGIA YARDING Tho New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, held a stock sale at Pirongia on Wednesday. A heavy yarding, comprised mostly plain quality fat cows, a large offering of yearling Jersey heifers, a few bulls and a large pen of store steers, came forward. Fat and store cows were hard to dispose of, although most changed hands. Competition was sluggish on yearling Jersey heifers, and only a small portion of the entry was sold. Light fat cows and heifers, £2 17s to £3 10s; freshconditioned, £2 to £2 12s Gd; good store cows, £1 5s to £1 16s; boners, 16s to £1 4s; medium yearling Jersey heifers, £1 15s to £2 8s; poorer, £1 to £1 12s; a pen of Shorthorn steers, £3 15s; good grade young bulls, £3 to £5 ss. STORE CATTLE AT FRANKTON The Farmers' Co-operative Auctioneering Company, Limited, held a store cattle Bale at Frankton on Wednesday. There was a good attendance of buyers, and -a complete clearance was effected at prices up to late quotations. The annual draft of Polled Angus bulls on account of Mr. J. Paterson, of Horotiu, met with spirited competition, two-yesr-olds selling up to 2Ggns. Forward-con-ditioned good quality two-year Shorthorn steers, £5 to £5 89; other two-year steers, £4 to £4 12s; 12 to 18-month Shorthorn steers, £2 12s to £3 ss; yearling Shorthorn steers, 38s to £2 2s; two-year-old Polled Angus bulls, 2Ggns; one-year Polled Angus bulls. 7i«ns to lOigns The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agen'cy Company, Limited,- held a store cattle sale at Frnnkton on Wednesday. Store steei'3, especially grown cattle, met with a good demand, and in most cases prices were in excess of vendors' reserves. There was very little inquiry for the advertised line of 250 yearling Jersey heifers offered in conjunction with the Farmers' Auctioneering Company, only one pen of these changing hands. Grown forward-conditioned Polled \u <t ub" steers, £4 12s 6d to £5 15s- four-year Shorthorn steers. £4 to £4 12s Gd: inferior qunlity tV> £3 15s; medium-sized three-year Polled' Angus steers, £4 12s Gd to £5 Is; others, to £1 10s; medium Shorthorn steers. £4 to £5; yearling Polled Angus heifers, £2 17s- good yearling Jersey heifers, £2 5a to £2 15s; others, £1 10a to £2 2a.