STOCK MARKET REVIEW

Southland Times, Issue 23634, 8 October 1938, Page 19

STOCK MARKET REVIEW

FIRM PRICES FOR FAT CATTLE HIGHEST VALUES OF SEASON Prime beef prices reached the highest level of the season at this week’s Lomeville stock sale and best quality was worth up to £2 10/- per 1001 b. The presence of country butchers stimulated the market to show a substantial rise on the previous week’s values and although the extra prime heavy quality seen in the yards at the previous sale was not forward this week prices reached high figures. All classes of fat cattle were from £1 to £1 10/- a head dearer than last week and the demand was still unsatisfied at the end of the sale. The continued shortage of feed has resulted in fat cattle being in short supply and until more feed is available the position is unlikely to improve. The good soaking rain experienced this week may hasten the growth of grass, but it will be some weeks before the feed position can be really improved. The range of prices for fat cattle this week was as follows:—Prime quality mediumweight bullocks from £l6 to £l7 12/6, good quality Lightweights £l4 10/- to £l5 10/-, unfinished £ll 10/- to £l3; prime quality cows from £l4 to £l5 5/-, good quality £l2 10/to £l3 10/-, medium quality £lO 5/to £ll, unfinished £8 10/— to £9 10/-; prime quality handyweight heifers from £l3 to £l4 5/-, lighter weights £ll to £l2 5/-, small £9 5/to £lO 5/-.

The store cattle market was well supplied and a keener demand prevailed for forward bullocks and empty cows, but younger cattle and dairy cows did not improve in value. Four-year-old bullocks brought up to £9 8/-, while three-year-old steers made up to £7 12/6, with others bringing from £6 to £6 18/-. Best empty cows realized up to £5, with average sorts selling at from £3 15/- to £4 5/-. A pen of good yearling steers sold at £3 15/-, while yearling heifers brought from £2 10/- to £3 with nondescript yearlings bringing from £1 10/- to £2. There was a poor yarding in the dairy section and prices were much on a par with last week’s rates. There was a good inquiry for cows close to profit, these realizing up to £7. ;;j" A stable and firm market for 'fat sheep enabled the first comparison of the season to be made between the prices for woolly and unshorn sheep. There were several pens of unshorn wethers yarded and prices, showed a disparity of about 6/- a head for similar quality woolled sheep. This is rather less than last season and indicates less confidence in the wool market than prevailed at this time a year ago. There was strong competition for all classes of fat sheep, wethers being about 2/6 a head firmer than a week ago, while ewes were dearer to the extent of about 1/- a head. Prices were as follows:— Prime quality wethers' up to 35/-, good quality 28/- to 29/6, medium 26/6 to 27/6, unfinished 23/- to 25/-; medium quality shorn wethers 20/6 to 22/6; prime heavy ewes up to 25/-, good quality ewes 21/- to 23/-, medium 17/6 to 18/6, unfinished from JL4/- to 15/-.