STOCK MARKETS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23860, 10 January 1941, Page 5

STOCK MARKETS

ACTIVITY IN WALKATO SALES OF STORE LAMBS VALUES ABOVE LAST YEAR Fine, hot weal her has been experienced in the Wnikato during the past three weeks, with the result l hat pas- j tures are beginning to show tin' ciiceis ol the dry spell, and dairy production | has .shown a slight- decline compared] with tho record output ol .last month. The opening sales of stock ior the 1911. season were commenced this week and on the whole value-; compared very favourably with those ruling hot ore the Christmas vacation. The main feature ol interest was the opening sales of store lambs nnd a standard of values ior future sales will more or less be determined by the prices obtained this week. At the central yards on Wednesday a good yarding of store lambs was penned. There was quite a good attendance ol buyers and the market opened firmly at prices in advance of those, ruling at the same sale last year. With a normal rainfall, indications are that present rates should be maintained. There still appears to be a good demand for store cattle, but only small lots are offering at present. At the Frank ton sale on Tuesday a line of 3year steers sold to £'B 3s. Boner cows and potter bulls sell at unchanged rates. Beef. —Small entries of fat cattle have been penned at country sales ibis week and prices at these centres have remained firm. The first sale for three weeks was held at the central yards on Tuesday and as was only to he expected a large offering came forward. A full entry of ox 1 was penned. Competition was steady thruughou! and on the whole prices were slightly m advance of those ruling at the final sale last year. Competition for an extra heavy yarding of cows and heifers was steady at the commencement, but slackened later and prices were a shade easier. Values for a fair yarding of calves were also slightly lower than those ruling :tl the previous sale. Heavy prime bullocks made L'l.'i to £l3 Ills; prime medium weights, ill 15s to £l2 15s; light prime, fin IDs to.(11 lus; plain and light, to £1 o; extra prime young cows and heifers, is los lo £<» los; prime, £7 10s to £8 ")S; lighter prime, t'li to L'T. Mutton. -Very small entries of fat sheep have been penned at country sales this week. However, a full yarding was offered at the central yards on Tuesday, and prices obtained at this market should be a fairly reliable indication of current values. The pen ning of wethers included several consignments of very prime sheep. Bidding over the early sales was steady, but cased slightly toward the finish. Prime well-finished sorts showed lit 110 alteiytion. tint other grades were easier. Prime ewes fully maintained previous quotations, while fat lambs sold at schedule rates. Prime fat wethers made 27s to 29s Od; medium, 26s to 275; light unfinished, 2,3s 6d to 25s Ud; heavy fat ewes, 17s to I9s; medium, 15s to 16s; light and unfinished, 123 to i ts. Pigs.— Exceptionally heavy yardings of fat pigs havo been penned at all the main sales tiiis week. Competition for prime baeoners remains keen, and previous quotations for this class have been fully maintained. With the dry weather and the milk going down, there is not the same demand for the lighter porkers suitable for finishing, which were keenly sought before the holidays. As a result prices for I his class are considerably below the exceptionally high rates previously ruling. As was to be expected values for stores and weaners have, also declined. Baeoners sell from L 3 los to £1 1-ls; heavy porkers and buttermilk pigs, £3 3s to £3 8s; medium porkers, £2 12S to £2 18s; light, £2 5s to £2 10s. BUOYANT PUKEKOHE MARKET The first sale id" the year at Pukekohe was held yesterday by the Loan and Mercantile Company. Cattle were yarded in large numbers. Dairy cattle close to and at profit were keenly sought, and sold at values well up to the closing quotations of 1940. Beef vajues were on a par with those realised at Westfield the previous day. Boner cows and bulls also sold well. Every pen in the yard was required lo accommodate the entry in the. pig section, which sold pari icalarly well. Dairy heifers brought £7 lOs to £10; dairy cows, £f; los to £0 IUS; fat cows, £5 to £9 12s (id; prime fat heifers, to to £7 Ts od; young meaty cows, £t to £4 15s; boners. £l. I.os to £3 l*s; heifers, b.r.w.b., £t los to £5 2s od; service bulls, £4 to £0; potter bulls, £5 los to £ll 2s Od; baeoners, £3 10s to £4 12s; porkers, £2 to £3 8s; choppers, £3 los to £6; slips, £1 I(>S to £l. 16s; weaners. 10s to £1 Is; sows due to farrow, £2 16s to £3 12s 6rt; boars, £1 Is to £3 3s. STORE LAMB OFFERINGS G. W. VercOe and Company reports that at the first, offering of store sheep of the season at Erankton yesterday approximately 2500 lambs were penned. A total clearance was effected at most satisfactory prices, as follows; -Ewe lambs: White-face, shorn, 19s 3d; wool I v 1 s*s lid; cull, shorn, 14s (Id to 15s 7d. Wet her lambs: While-face, 16s Od to 16s lOd; medium. Lis Od to 15s 10(1; small, 12s Od to Lis od; cull. 9s 2d to lis Id. Black-face woolly lambs, 15s ltd to 16s Od; small, 13s to I Is Bd. White-face woolly wether lambs, to 16s 6d Dalgety and Company reports a good yarding of both shorn and woolly lambs, with prices for all classes of lambs good. Very forward-conditioned woolly black-face lambs made- to 18s lid; forward-condition shorn white-face, to Ills Od; very forward woolly black-face, .is* to 18s till; ditto, 15s to 17s; ditto, shorn, Lis to 10s; smaller. 13s to 14s 3d; shorn Romney lambs, 15s Od lo 16s Od; medium, Lis to 15s 3d; smaller, 13? 1o 13s Od; cull, os Od lo .12s fid; shorn Romney ewe lambs, lis Od to 15s Od; two-tooth wethers, to 21s. VALUES AT OTOROHANGA The Loan and Mercantile Company reports a large yarding of lambs at Otorohanga on Wednesday. The entry comprised all shorn while-face'lambs, most of which were wether lambs, The ewe lambs were small to very young. Everything sold to keen competition. Altogether the company sold over ;|6()0 lambs. Cattle sold well at late rates, as also did fat pigs, but store pigs showed a drop in keeping with the dry weather and milk supply. Prime wethers, 26s Od; forward-condi-tioned shorn white-face wether lambs. 17s 7d to 1 s.s sd; stores. 16s to |Us Id; medium, 15s Id to 15s -id; light. 13s 6(1 to 14s sd; small, lis 7d to 12s lOd: weedy. «s 8d to 10s Od; small shorn white-face ewe lambs, 15s 2d lo 17s 3d; very small, 13s Od, Prime cows, <:7 15s to CO 15s; light prime Jersey steers. €7 ss; medium prime Jersey heifers, £6 5s to Cli 13s; ditto, cows, £5 His to to 13s; light, prime, £5 5s to £5 lOs; killable. £ J 15is lo £5 Is: boner cows. £2 to £1 15s; potter bulls. £6 lo £lO 10s. Light baeoners, £3 7s to £3 I Os; porkers, £1 Lss to £3 2s; store pigs, 20s to 295.