WAIAREKA YARDS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10954, 20 December 1911, Page 6

WAIAREKA YARDS.

The associated auctioneers report having held their usual weekly sale yesterday, when a small yarding of stock came forward to a fair attendance of buyers. The competition for sheep was good, and every lot penned changed hands at highly satisfactory prices. Fat cattle were decidedly easier in price, but store cattle sold very well. Sheep.—4so penned. Fat wethers 17s 6d, 17s to 15s 9d; fat ewes 14s 8d to 13s; ewes (4, 6, and 8-tooth, shorn, with lambs at foot) 13s 3d; f. and f.m. ewes 9s 6d, and lambs (all counted) at 9s 6d.

Cattle. —30 penned. Fat cows (extra heavy) to £lO 12s 6d, do (good) £7 7s, £6 to £5 10s, 2-year steers £4 12s 6d, 18-months steers £3, yearling steers and heifers £1 14s 6d.

Pigs.—ls penned. Store pigs 31: 295, 21s; weaners 15s, 14s 6d, to 10s,

JUNCTION YARDS. Messrs Bruce Christie and Co. report on their weekly stock sale, held at the Junction Yards yesterday, as under: There was a good attendance of- farmers, butchers, and others, and a large yarding of stock. Cattle. —132 head were yarded. Prices for beef were easier. Store cattle were again in good demand. We quote: 3 to 5-year-old bullocks in forward condition at £6 10s to £7 10s, 2-1-year-old steers £5 to £5 12s-6d, 2-year-old. steers and heifers £3 to £3 12s, yearlings £2 os to £2 15s, calves 10s to 12s 6d. Bulls sold at £2 10s to £3 10s, extra well-bred bulls £6 to £8- . ,

Dairy cows, at profit, if young and in good condition, arc in good demand. Thirty-six were offered. Best cows (just at profit) sold at £'S to £9 2s 6d, extragood cows we quote at £9 10s to £lO, medium sorts of cows (at profit) £6 to £6 los, aged cows (at profit) £3 10s to £4, best heifers (at profit) sold at £7 to £8 10s, medium sorts of heifers £4 5s to £5 os.

Pigs.—s3 were penned. Slips sold at 31s to 355, best wcaners 21s to 25s 6d, medium-sized weaners 17s to 20s, small wcaners 13s to 15s. Prime bacon pigs, from 1201b to 1601b, are selling well, and we can take any number at highest prices.

FROZEN MEAT MARKET. The Colonial Consignment and Distributing Company report as follows on November 10: — New Zealand Mutton. —The receipts during the past four weeks only amount to 49,593 carcases, and the year's aggregate of 1."30,104 carcases fails short of last .year's figures by 152,640 carcases. The trifling amount of fresh arrivals lias naturally caused a considerable reduction in the stocks on hand and some importers are very short. To this cause alone must be attributed the firmer tone in quotations. The demand continues extremely limited, and the only active enquiry is for heavy carcases, which are hardly to be found, and in consequence are worth more than the lighter weights. Canterbury brands are limited and arc quoted at prices from 4d to 4gd per lb, although a few carcases can be bought for 3|d per lb. Ewes are by no means plentiful but can still bo bought at 3£d per lb. The extremely light shipments reported during October will enable holders to prevent any decline from the current rates for some little time.

Frozen Lamb. —The month's receipts consist of 45,525 carcases from New Zealand, 35,139 carcases from Australia, and 49,765 carcases from South America. The year's figures show the large increase of 685,855 carcases, the major part of which is from South America. The demand for New Zealand lambs has fallen to very limited dimensions, and although quotations show nominally little change, they have a. decidedly crumbling tendency. Some stocks now being offered show signs of 3taleness from storage, which does not tend to improve values. Canterburys do not average muck over 5Jd per lb, and the few North Island and Southland lambs about realise from 4Jd to 5d per lb. South American lambs are very much in evidence and best make up to 4.U1 per lb. Togs of excellent quality have sold for less than 3£d. ,pcr lb, at which figure they were quite the cheapest meat on the market. of the lambs, however, are by no means up to the standard required on tin's market. Only a few Australians are at present- on offer, and prime quality appears likely to be scarce. The offerings are quoted at 4£d to 4-gd per lb.

Frozen Beef.—Heavy stocks have been increased by the arrival of 139,723 quarters, but the decrease in the total supplies has been more than replaced by the increase in the chilled beef shipments. The market for frozen has been almost closed down by the abundance and cheapness of chilled beef, and prices have been depressed to a lowlevel. Quotations for New Zealandbeef are almost nominal, as so little is being sold. Australian beef is begin-. ning to -move, but the value of hinds is about id per lb less than a month" ago. The cut fores, however, find favor at the same rates. South American beef shows a decline of Jd per lb. Stocks-in Liverpool are still very heavy.