STOCK MARKET REVIEW

Southland Times, Issue 24599, 22 November 1941, Page 10

STOCK MARKET REVIEW

Prime Beef Prices Unchanged The market for good quality cattle remained unchanged at Lorneville this week, but the bulk of the entry was of medium and inferior cattle for which prices were slightly easier.. The market appeared to have stabilized itself at the lower level of the last few weeks for prime quality, buC it was adequately supplied and it seemed that only the small percentage of prime cattle in the yarding prevented a further decline. There was a firmer tone in the beef market at Burnside on Wednesday and prices advanced for all classes of ox beef, but cows were weaker. Fairly heavy supplies came forward at the first Addington market for a fortnight and prices were about £1 a head easier for all classes.

The range of prices at Lorneville was as follows:—Prime quality mediumweight bullocks from £l5/5/- to £l6, handyweights £l3/10/- to £l4/10/-, lightweights £lO/10/- to £ll/10/-, good quality cows £lO/15/- to £ll 10/-, medium £9 to £9/15/-, inferior £4. to £5, good quality handyweight heifers £9/10/- to £lO/10/-, lightweights £7/10/- to £B/5/-. FAT LAMBS Although the present season has been generally described by farmers as backward, supplies of fat lambs are unusually heavy for so early in the season. The size of the yarding at Lorneville on Tuesday was exceptionally heavy and indicated that fairly good supplies should be available for the freezing works if it is decided to start killing before Christmas. As the new season’s schedule will favour lightweight lambs it is probable that many farmers will prefer to kill their lambs early in the season in order to secure the higher rates. The entry of lambs was so great that there was a marked reduction in prices and very few lambs topped 30/- a head, the average quality being worth about 25/-. A marked improvement in values of fat ewes occurred at Lorneville this week. The entry was a moderate one with a majority of medium-weight ewes. The sale opened at last week’s prices, but quickly improved to the extent of from 3/- to 4/-. Prices at Burnside and Addington showed no change. The Lorneville range of prices was as follows:—Good quality woolly wethers up to 34/3, medium 31/- to 32/-, light and unfinished 25/6 to 27/-; prime shorn wethers to 26/6, good quality medium-weights 23/6 to 25/-, light and unfinished 21/- to 22/-, prime young woolly ewes to 24/3, good quality 21/6 to 22/6, medium 19/6 to 20/6, aged and unfinished 15/- to 17/-, prime young shorn ewes to 20/6, good quality 17/- to 18/6, medium 14/6 to 15/6, lighter 13/to 14/-, inferior 11/- to 12/-.