N.Z. STOCK MARKETS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 966, 8 May 1930, Page 11

N.Z. STOCK MARKETS

PRICES RATHER ERRATIC WESTFIELD FAT SALE Reviewed by R.W.C. With the end of the freezing season almost at hand, there is little life in the market for either fat or store stock at any of the Dominion’s principal selling centres. The general trend is toward slightly iower levels in fat stock circles, as there seems to be a slight surplus which has not been absorbed by the export demand; this will have to find a market within the Dominion.

Although the market for beef may not appear quite satisfactory from the producer’s point of view, it is interesting to remember that it is not much under levels ruling at this time last year. At. tl*e first Westfield sale in May of 1929. top price for fat bullocks was £l6 15s, compared with £l6 5s yesterday. Sheep have suffered the most, largely on account of the lower prices for wool. Fat wethers in May of 1929 were making over 375, and ewes over 31s, compared with 29s and 21s respectively at yesterday’s sale. The position in respect to fat stock prices at the moment is largely regulated by the home eonsLimption demand: export is practically over for the season and, in any case, prodticers would mostly rather take their chances of an improvement in prices in New Zealand as the winter advances, than send Home at the comparatively low prices offering. Most works throughout the Dominion are now working part time.

Short Yarding of Beef at Westfield The ox beef yarding at Westfield yesterday was the shortest for several months. The quality, however, was good, several lines of extra choice prime cattle being drawn from South Auckland. The market was very firm at late rates and bidding was very keen on lines of well-finished cattle. Best ox beef made up to 37s a hundred: best cow, to 33s a hundred; ordinary cow made from 25s to 23s a hundred; boner cows made from 18s a hundred upward. The top-priced cattle at £l6 5s were exceptionally heavy prime, being practically the first of the drafts of big-framed solid- prime bullocks which can be expected during the next three months on account of graziers who have been able to do their stock well and who generally keep them for the winter market with its higher prices. The veal pens contained a mixed assortment. While there was a noticeable percentage of calves which were obviously only poor stores, there were several very atti*active lines of station calves, one line of 30 P.A. and Shorthorn calves on account J. Pratt, Hamilton, meeting with keen competition at up to £5 4s. Top price in the section was secLired for an exceptionally big-framed heifer which made up to £7 15s. Values generally, however, were from par to slightly below late rates. Ordinary heavy vealers made to £ 4 4s; medium, £2 10s to £ 3 10s. Sheep Slightly Easier A heavy entry of sheep was drawn from over a rather wide range and comprised many lines of choice prime wethers. With the larger offering, prices tended to be slightly easier in the majority of instances, although certain butchers were still prepared to pay a slight premium on special lines. The easing tendency was more noticeable as the sale progressed and the smaller butchers filled their ordeL’s. Although premium prices were paid for extra choice sheep in isolated instances, heavy prime wethers, generally, made up to 295; medium, 23s to 25s 6d; extra heavy prime young ewes made to 22s for a special line; heavy prime ewes, generally, made, to 19s 6d; medium, 15s to 17s 6d. Lambs sold at unchanged rates, good sorts of well-finished lambs making from 21s to 235. Prices for fat pigs were a little erratic, but baconers, for the greater part of the sale, met with a slightly firmer market. Values for porkers and baconers ranged around the equivalent of from sid to Gd a pound. The reason for the slight improvement in the market for baconers is apparently that one or two curers were not quite so weft stocked up as they first appeared to be and, with these men operating with increasing force, the buying strength is naturally increased. Store pigs met with a steady demand. Best made to 28s; weaners made from 4s to 11s. Hawke’s Bay Market At the weekly sale in the Stortford Lodge saleyards yesterday, a small yarding of sheep and cattle came forward. Prices throughout were slightly easier and competition was inclined to be slow. Fat bullocks made £9 to £l3; fat cows and heifers, £ 5 to £8 10s; dairy cows. £l3 to £l4 17s 6d; fat ewes, 13s to 16s lOd; fat wethers, 22s 6d to 235; fat lambs, 14s to 16s; two and fourtooth wethers, 18s to 21s; breeding ewes, 15s; ewe lambs, 10s to 17s; wether lambs, 10s to 13s; store ewes. 3s Gd to 10s 9d.

Addington Market There were heavy entries in all of (he major sections of the weekly stock so .e at Addington today. The feature of the sale was the sharp decline in values for both fat sheep and fat cattle. Store ewes and lambs also met with a dull sale and values were lower than at last week’s auction. Fat lambs sold around the new schedule rates of up to 7d a pound. Extra prime wethers made to 31s; extra prime young ewes made to 25s Gd; best medium-weight beef made from 37s to 40s a lmndred. The fat pig market was easier, baconers averaging around Gid to 75d a pound, and porkers around 7d to 8d a pound.

Wellington Market Firm An average yarding of cattle and a large yarding of sheep were penned at the Johnsonvillo sale yesterday. The f cattle yarded were of mixed quality. Several consignments of particularly rrime heavy-weight cattle came forward, but a small proportion of the yarding was of plain and lighter sorts A good sale resulted in prices on a par with last week’s rates. The sheep penned were of good quality and a good clearance was effected at late rates. The demand for lamb is slackening off.

Prime heavy-weight bul.oeks made £ls to £l6 2s 6d; bullocks, £l3 15s to £l4 12s 6d; bullocks, light, £lO 5s to £l2; heifers, £8 12s Gd cows, £5 to £9; vealers, £3 to £4 10s; heavy wethers, 26s Gd to 28s 3d; wethers, 24s 6g to 25s 3d; ewes, ISs Id to 225; heavy lambs, 23s 9d to 25s 9d; lambs, 13s to 18s.