POVERTY BAY SHEEP

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17185, 15 February 1930, Page 11

POVERTY BAY SHEEP

OPINION IN THE SOUTH In connection with the commencement. of the sale of Poverty Bay ewes in the Addington market, it is interesting to reprint some of the remarks made in Christchurch papers in regard to the quality of the offerings from this district.

Commenting on last week’s sale, "Straggler” in the Press states: — "The quality was very ordinary. At the corresponding sale last season there were some outstanding lines of well-bred Romney Two-tooths from Poverty Bay. There were no sheep of equivalent quality forward on Wednesday, and at the moment it would appear that supplies will be very much reduced from the North this season.

"Recently a sale has been made of a draft of the better class of Gisborne ewe privately to several Canterbury farmers, and they brought 25s on the bout at the northern port. This is equivalent to 31s landed on the farm. Jt happens that they are one of the most-sought-after drafts from the Poverty Bay country, so it appears that the northern pastoralists have modified their prices considerably. For some time they have asked prices that Canterbury dealers could not hope to pay and secure a return, anything from 30s to 35s being asked. No doubt they were encouraged to ask these figures by the fact that the Auckland province and the Wairarapa bought fairly freely at high figures, but it appears that the outlet in this quarter does not give much hope for getting rid of the remaining surplus, and there is every prospect of a few good-sized drafts coming to the south from Poverty Bay. "Arrangements have been made for the sale of several drafts ffttm properties where the best of the sheep which pass through the Addington yards from Poverty Bay are bred. It appears that the supply of twotooth ewes will not be largo but the Gisborno people are finding difficulty in dealing with their cast ewes. The chances are that a good many of this sort will be sent south."