TARANAKI STOCK MARKETS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 389, 21 October 1933, Page 8

TARANAKI STOCK MARKETS

AUCTIONEERS' WEEKLY REVIEW

NEWTON KING'S REPORT

Newton King Ltcl.'s stock market report reviewing the week's activities states:—

The diversion of attention to classes appropriate to the season is now apparent throughout the district, and business for the most part is confined to the store sheep and cattle sections. Quotations in both branches are, however, far from sufficient to satisfy the inquiry, and as a consequence prices are somewhat in advance of those earlier anticipated. When due consideration is given to the low levels ruling for beef it is surprising to find store and station cattle meeting such a ready market at prices out of relation to the finished article, and it seems obvious that the scarcity of wellbred cattle is having a governing effect on prices. The most notable feature is the high level at which yearlings and two-year steers are selling, compared with prices for older cattle, and buyers' operations suggest that their judgment is based on the hope that the beef market will soon regain a profitable level.

On the other hand the optimism that is noticeable in operations in the store sheep section is justified, firstly through the sustained elevation of wool values and secondly by the much improved rate in the opening schedule for lambs. Works buyers are now busy on lines of lambs suitable for killing, and cightpence is being offered for those available to catch immediate shipments. The duration of operation at this figure is, however, doubtful, but the firmness of the overseas markets suggests that little alteration should take effect until at least the first drafts are handled. Further encouragement for speculation in this branch is offered in the unusual firmness of the mutton market for this period of the year, and the scarcity of quotations suggests that a steady market is likely to prevail for some time. Sheep off the shears are now being marketed in larger numbers, fat wethers being saleable at up to 20s, while ewes realise from Ms 6d to ,16s. Sales of .truck lots of woolly sheep have been effected during the week at from 23s to 24s for wethers, and 17s 6d to 19s 6d for ewes. Extensive trading with lambs on a forward delivery basis has been done since the last report, one line of a 1000 white-faced lambs changing hands at 15s, while other large lines of black-faced sorts have been sold at from 14s 6d to IGs. Ewes and lambs are freely sought, but now that the works schedule has been announced many holders have advanced quotations that prohjbit changing. The sale has been made of a line of 4 and 5-year ewes and lambs at 30s. Other sales in this section include a line of 300 sixtooth store wethers in the wool at 20s, small shorn ewe hoggets at 17s Gd and small shorn wether hoggets at 13s 6d. The buoyant tone in the store cattle j section can be guaged from the resultsj of back-country sales, where representative yardings have been submitted. All classes of station-bred cattle have met with a strong demand at prices decidedly in favour of vendors. Some guide as to the figures ruling can be gathered from the results of the Awakino sale on Saturday last, when a strong bench of buyers from all parts of the district was in attendance. Competition was keen from the outset and practically a total clearance was made. Grown bullocks (somewhat rough and mixed in colour) made £3 14s to £3 14s 6d, 2-year Polled Angus

steers £3 14s, 2-year Shorthorn and Hereford steers £3 ss, 2-year empty Polled Angus heifers £2 17s to £3 Is, 2-year empty Shorthorn and Polled Angus heifers £2 15s to £2 19s 6d, 2-year Shorthorn heifers £2 19s, yearling Polled Angus and Shorthorn steers £2 14s to £2 14s 6d, small £2 to £2 Is, small mixed-sex yearlings £1 15s to £1 17s 6d, empty Polled Angus and Hereford cows £3 Is to £3 9s, empty Shorthorn cows £2 16s to £2 18s, mixed coloured sorts £2 10s to £2 12s 6d, cows and calves £3 6s, light fat cows £3 10s to £3 17s 6d, 2-year empty Jersey heifers £2 17s. Values at the fortnightly sales, where oddments and reject cows constitute the offerings, show an casing tendency, young cows suitable for fattening being the only class that retains its popularity. Yearling Jersey heifers and other classes suitable for next season's dairy requirements have lost favour and some difficulty is now experienced in quitting at values in keeping with vendors' ideas, especially poorer bred cattle. At the moment best yearlings are worth from £3 7s 6d to £3 15s, good cattle suitable for later mating £2 15s to £3 2s 6d, crossbred cattle of quality £2 7s 6d to £2 12s, good hold-over heifers to £2 2s 6d,

average £1 10s to £1 15s, inferior 15s to 255, 2-year empty Jersey heifers £2 5s to £2 15s, lesser quality £1 10s to £1 15s, sound empty cows £1 7s Gd to £1 15s. No .change has occurred in prices for boners.

Values in the dairy cattle section arc much lower than is usual at this period, and little hope of early improvement is now held. Fortunately most of the holdings have been handled, and. only oddments are left to be disposed of. Good quality heifers close to profit sell at from £5 10s to £6, average cattle £4 7s 6d to £5, inferior £3 10s to £4, good young dairy cows £6 10s, others £2 10s to £4. The Urenui sale on Monday drew a good entry in all departments and a satisfactory clearance was effected. Good fat ewes made 18s Id to 18s 3d, plainer

sheep 15s 6d, good quality yearling Jersey heifers £3 16s, average sorts £2 IGs Cd to £3, smaller cattle of quality £2 12s to £2 14s, good quality hold-over heifers £2, inferior 25s to 265. A good yarding of beef came forward and met with a spirited sale at prices a little in advance of those ruling at the previous sale in Urenui. Prime fat Shorthorn cows and heifers made from £5 8s to £5 17s, light Jersey cows £2 13s to £2 15s, paddock cows £1 15s to £1 18s, sound empty cows £1 17s to £2, meaty works cows £1 Us to £1 15s, boners £1 to £1 7s, 2-year empty Jersey heifers £2 7s Gd to £2 10s, average quality springing heifer's £4 15s to £5 ss, smaller cattle of lesser quality £3 10s to £4 2s Gd, inferior £2 5s to £3. The Stratford sale on Tuesday drew an average yarding in all departments. Fat cows, dairy sorts and young paddock cows met with a ready sale, values in

oilier departments being oh a par with late rates. Fat cows (good Jersey sorts) j made £3 18s Gd to £4. lighter £2 17s Gd, young Jersey reject cows £1 9s to £1 lis, J boners 18s to 225, paddock cows £1 15s j to £2, good quality empty Jersey heifers £3 ss, average quality yearling Jersey heifers £2 15s to £3, good quality young dairy cows £5 5s to £5 10s. others £3 10s

to £4 15s, good quality springing heifers £G 10s, medium £4 15s to £5 ss, calved heifers £4 to £5.