STOCK IN WAIKATO

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24134, 28 November 1941, Page 3

STOCK IN WAIKATO

MORE FAVOURABLE WEATHER FAT LAMBS IMPROVING Better weather is now being experienced in the Waikato and the feed is coming away well in all districts. With the warmer days and more sunshine, fat lambs should also improve rapidly. Although the market for store cattle showed a tendency to ease a week or two agt), no decline in values has occurred this week. At the Morrinsville centre on Monday, an offering- of 1400 station-bred cattle attracted a large bench of buyers and prices realised were fully equal to those ruling earlier in the season. Grown bullocks and female cattle especially met with a very keen demand. On the whole, the quality of the offering' was first-class and this, together with the improved feed conditions, were largely responsible for the excellent sale experienced. The market for dairy cattle is not nearly as buoyant. Only small entries of this class are now coming forward with inferior sorts predominating. The demand is slow and generally prices are lower. One or two clearing sales have also been held recently and, while values at these fixtures are higher than at the yards, they are lower than those ruling some little time ago. Of course, it is now late in the season and, with three months of the season srone, reduced rates are only to be expected. The market for yearling Jersey heifers is holding up well for this time of the year and while the demand at some sale,' has not been keui, steady sales at slightly lower rates have resulted at most centres. In the store sheep section shorn hoggets still comprise the bulk of the entries, and while values for these ore -not as high "as some little time ago, in comparison with j freezing rates ruling rates must be con- i sidered very satisfactory. Small lines of ewes with lambs at foot continue to sell readily Beef.—Smaller yardings of fat cattle have been penned at most of the main centres and the easing tendency which was apparent at the centra! yards at the previous sale was not repeated this week. Entries _at country j sates Have recently been comprised mainly of cow and heifer beef which has sold readily at firm rates, A smaller y&rdinK than usual of ox beef was penned at the Frankton sale on Tuesday. Competition was keen throughout and last week's slightly lower quotations were exceeded. Cows and heifers were also in keen demand and on the whole values I in this section were also a shade firmer. | Mutton,—Larger entries of fat sheep are ! now comine: forward at most of the main sales and the slisrhtly lower rates which have i been ruling during the past two weeks have continued at, most centres. Another large offering was penned at the central yards on Tuesday. Prime wethers were in good supply and values for these were' practically on a par with last week's slightly reduced rates. Good butchers' ewes were not forward in such large numbers as last week, consequently values for these were a shade firmer. Spring lambs again sold readily at recent quotations. Pigs.—Larger entries of fat pigs have also been penned at most of the main centres. Competition for baconers remains steady at recent quotations, while buttermilk feeders who are now sending away baconers in good jium* bers are also in the market for replacements and values for this class are a shade firmer. Prime porkers also sell readily at firm rates. The (slight improvement for store pigs which was apparent last week has also been maini tained. ADDINGTON MARKET fBY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] CHRISTCHUKCH, Thursday With the advent of the freezing season fat lamb values were stabilised at Addington yesterday at schedule values, except for heavier weights which butchers bought ahead of the export limits for this class. The penning of 1300 was of good class. First grade ranged from 22s t0.2-ls Od and prime heavy-weights I from 25s to 28s. The store sheep entry contained a number of lines from Marlborough and intervening districts and there was a very free sale for all classes at about last week's rates. Local wethers sold at up to 3Ss and Marlborough lines from 13s Id to Ids Bd. Oorriedale hoggets made up to 32s for an outstanding line in the wool, and shorn wethers to 20s (3d. Ewes and lambs sold well, the best making up to 17s 3d, all counted; others, to 15s lid; odd lots, from lis up. There was a normal entry of 4500 fat sheep, mostly of good quality. "Wethers sold at up to last week's prices, with ewes a shade easier. Export buyers were in the market, but could secure very few pens. Ewes are still aVout 5s and wethers 2s a head above schedule rates. Best wethers made 24$ to 28s Od; good medium-weight, 21s fid to 23s fid; good ewes, 17s 6d to 24s fid; average, 14s fid to 17s: light, down to lis (id. Tho fat cattle entry was 4SS head. Prime light and medium weights were a shade firmer,-but other classes were unchanged, with old cows lower. Best beef made 30s to 40s; medium, 33s to 35s fid; secondary, to 32s fid; inferior, down to 21s per 1001b. Heavy prime cattle, £K> to CIS ss; prime medium, £l4 10s to £l6; ordinary, £l2 10s to £l4; prime heifers, to £ls 12s (id; rough cows, £4 10s to £5 15s. The fat pig entry was much the heaviest of the year and as a result values for pork went down by 3s to 4s a head and for hacon by 4s to ss. Porkers, £1 19s fid to £3 2s fid, average price per lb 7d to Sd; baconers, £2 ISs (id to C 4 lis fid, average price per lb 5/id to 7'!ld. PUKEKOHE YARDING Dairy cattle close to profit, were in keen demand at the weekly stock sale at Pukskohe yesterday, conducted by the New Zea* land Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited. There was an average yarding In the cattle section. Beef sold at late rates, while there was a bright demand for store cattle. A complete clearance was made of a good yarding of all classes of pigs. Dairy cows brought £fi to £l3; dairy heifers, £G to £ll 15s; fat cows. £4 to £S 12« fid, boner cows, C2 to C 3 10s; store cows, £4 to £(i ss; heifers (running with bulls), £5 to , i'ti; smaller heifers, £3 10s to £4 158; year Hereford-Shorthorn steers, to £7; service bulls, £2 to CI; other bulls. 15s to £1 7s fid; ; haconers, €3 4s to £1; porkers, £2 8s to t;i ;is; choppers. £2 5s to £3 10s; storo piffs, £2 to £~ ss; slips, £1 10s to £1 155; weanrrs, 15s to £1 8$; sows, due fo farrow. C2 to £3; sows, with litters, $3 .109 to X' 3 10s; boars, £1 Is to £3 15s. MUTTON SCHEDULE ADJUSTED (0.C.) HAMILTON, Thursday The export prices for lamb ami wether mutton have been Increased by d per lb, tha advance* being a seasonal adjustment. KAURI GUM PRICES (O.O,) KAITATA, Thursday The kauri gum industry, in so far as the 1 far northern fields are concerned, is in a very good position, and a comfortable living is assured for the diggers. It is estimated that from 200 to 800 men are actively engaged as pfiimdkrgers, the majority being married with families. The general opinion among the diggers was that when the war had been in progress a few months the price of gum would drop on account of the markets being so far distant from New Zealand, and shipping .apace being required for more necessary products. Moreover, Germany, Italy and Japan were purchasers of gum, prior to hostilities. Fortunately for tho diggers other markets have been found, and tho following prices are the approximate amounts paid 'to the diggers Oil their fields for the various grades of gum;— Steel, 110s per cwtj black, 80s; chalk, 60s; ' chips, 30s to 40a.