STOCK MARKET REVIEW

Southland Times, Issue 24153, 15 June 1940, Page 14

STOCK MARKET REVIEW

CLOSE OF FREEZING SEASON FAT CATTLE PRICES ON LOWER LEVEL With' the closing of the freezing, works next week movements of stock' in Southland will drop very considerably. The lamb killing returns have been very satisfactory, showing a considerable increase on previous seasons, and latterly there has been a steady kill of cattle. These activities will be brought to a close and farmers will be able to consentrate, on the care for the winter months of their stock. The heavy kill of cattle will probably relieve the demands for winter feed on some properties and this will be welcome as the feed position is not entirely satisfactory in some parts of the province. There are prospects that surplus crops of turnips and reserves of hay will prove more valuable as the season progresses. Already there has been a steady demand for hay in some parts of the province and some fairly extensive sales have been made. In a mild winter the present feed stocks would probably prove adequate, but the unsettled weather in the last few seasons has not encouraged farmers to | prepare for normal weather. After a very wet autumn pasture grass is not of the best quality and will probably not carry stock through the winter as well as a lesser growth in a normally dry season. Large numbers of fat cattle were offered at Lorneville this week and the quality also showed a decided improvement on the previous week. Prices receded again to the level of about a fortnight ago, the demand being only moderate. Recent rates have not been encouraging for the grazier and view of the uncertainty of the beef market for the winter months under | limited regulation it is not surprising j that a large number of farmers have put cattle through the freezing works in preference to holding them through the winter. There has been no clarification yet about the position of supplies for the late winter and early spring and butchers are watching the market with some concern. RANGE OF PRICES Following is a range of fat cattle prices at Lorneville this week.— Prime heavyweight bullocks from £l4/15/- a head, good quality bullocks £l2/10/- to £l3/10/-, medium weights £lO/15/- to £ll/10/-, light weights £9/5/- to £lO, prime quality heifers, £lO/10/- to £ll/10/-, handy weights, £9 to £9/15/-, light weights, £B/5/to £B/15/-, small £7/10/- to £B, prime quality cows £9/10/- to £lO/ ■ 7/6, good quality cows £B/10/- to £9, medium weights £7/10/- to £B, aged and inferior £5/10/- to £6/10/-.

Some fine quality wethers and ewes were offered at Tuesday’s sale, the entry being slightly smaller than last week. There was keen competition and prices showed a slight improvement on the previous sale. What was practically I the last entry of fat lambs for the season was forward, this being only 130 head. The quality was typical of the end of the season, the majority of the lambs being light and unfinished. Prices were in accord with schedule rates. Following is a range of prices for sheep.— Extra prime wethers up to 45/-, prime quality wethers from 36/6 to 36/-, good quality, 31/- to 33/-, medium, 28/- to 29/6, light weights, 24/6 to 26/-, prime quality ewes, 25/- to 26/6, good quality 22/- to 23/-, medium 20/- to 21/-, light weights 17/- to 19/-, unfinished 14/- to 16/-. The store stock markets are now very quiet, movements being practically at an end. Cull and carry-over lambs have made up the bulk of the store sheep entries and prices have been low, while the quality of the store cattle offering has not been attractive.