TARANAKI STOCK MARKET

Taranaki Daily News, 28 September 1929, Page 14

TARANAKI STOCK MARKET

PRICES TENDENCY TO HARDEN. NEWTON KING’S REPORT. Newton King, Ltd., report for the .week ending Saturday, September 28: — Beef. —In view of the limited number of quotations that are offering under this heading, prices naturally have a tendency to harden, and in a number of cases difficulty is being experienced jn supplying requirements for local consumption, resulting in prospective purchasers having, in a number of cases, to fulfil their requirements from outside sources. During the week sales for Ibcal consumption have been effected at the following Heavy prime fat bullocks, £l6 10s .to. £l7 10s; heavy fat bullocks, £l4 10s to £l5 10s; light and unfinished, £l3; extra heavy prime fat Polled Angus cows, £l6; heavy prime fat cows, £l3 to £l3 10s; lighter sorbs, £ll to £l2; light and unfinished, £8 10s to £lO. Fat Sheep.—Quotations for wether mutton are much more plentiful than those offering for ewes, and in the majority of cases butchers’ requirements are being fulfilled from the former class. However, with the lambing season now practically over, quotations of the latter class will be more plentiful; from now on, as graziers will be placing their dry ewes on the market. As with beef, fattened prefer to quit their supplies through the medium of private treaty, and butchers’ requirements are being fulfilled through this medium. The fol-, lowing is the range of prices at present ruling:—Heavy prime fat wethers, £2; lighter sorts, 37s to 38s; heavy , prime fat ewes, 30s to 31s; lighter sorts, 27s to 28s; fat hoggets, 30. Store Sheep.—The demand for all clases is good, and perhaps has increased a little since our last report,, resulting in increased sales being the order of the day. Ewes with lambs at foot are being quoted in good numbers, and sales of this class are increasing. Hoggets are also being fairly liberally quoted, and with the good demand that exists for this class, ready sales are being effected. Sales for the above-mentioned two classes range as follows: —Good four and five-year-old ewes, with lambs at foot, 38s to 40s; others, 33s to 355; best ewe (hoggets, 335; others, 29s to 31s; best wether hoggets, 28s to 20s; smaller sorts, 24s to 265; good mixed sex hoggets, 28s to 30s; others, 25s to 265. Quotations for ewes, for forward delivery, are now also coming to hand, but aa yet sales on this basis, in -this district, are not plentiful. In view of the instability of the wool market, together with the fact that the prospects for freezing prices do not look as bright as they were last year, it is to be expected that sales for forward delivery will not be as plentiful as they were. last. year. However, it is only natural for the demand to increase from now on, and as vendors’ quotations are lower than they were last season, it is almost safe to predict that prospective purchasers will fall in line with the prices ruling, and increased sales will be the order of the day from now on. Quotations of store ■wethers are very limited, resulting in sales of this class being ver) few. Store Cattle.—The inquiry for all classes under this heading remains .strong, and as quotations are of a limited nature, together with the fact -that. offerings at-our,-.various centres are si'ffir-iplll to meet the

competition being in evidence throughout each fixture. As stated in our last report, prospective purchasers are very optimistic concerning the prices that will be ruling for all classes under this heading during the next 12 months or so, and as the feed becomes a little more plentiful, the demand will naturally increase and prices may have a tendency to harden. The offerings at our various centres consist to a large extent of fair entries of store and forward cows, together with fair numbers of yearling and two-year-old empty heifers, while male cattle are conspicuous by their absence. Good numbers of sound empty cows are also included in each offering, and these, as with the other classes, are subject to spirited competition and change hands at prices pleasing to vendors. The following is the range of prices that are at present ruling:—Good coloured' young store cows, £5 10s to £6 10s; mixed coloured sorts, £4- 10s to £5; works cows, £2 10s to £4; good quality young sound empty cows, £7; others, £4 10s to £6; two-year-old Jersey cross empty heifers, £6 to £6 15s; others, £5 5s to £5 15s. The yearling heifer market remains firm, and during the past week increased sales have been the order of the day. Fair numbers of inquiries are being received from outside districts and prices throughout, for this class, have a tendency to harden. This is exemplified by the following range of prices for sales that have been effected during the week: Well-grown choice fawn heifers in good condition, £8 to £8 17s 6d; good sorts, £7 to £7 15s; smaller sorts, £6 to £6 IDs; mixed coloured sorts, £4 15s to £5 ss; small hold-over cattle, £3 to £4. Dairy Cattle.—There is a good inquiry for both dairy cows and heifers, and in view- of' ; the fact that ther market for both classes has been very active during the season and sales have been readily effected, the majority of the lines tha,t were offering have now been disposed of, and difficulty is being experienced in fulfilling requirements through the medium of private treaty. Of course there are good entries still being submitted at our fortnightly fixtures, but few top quality cattle are included in any of the offerings, resulting in the medium quality sorts being subject to spirited competition and full clearances are being effected at each fixture, and where first quality cattle come under the hammer, the prices realised are, if anything, in advance of those that were anticipated earlier in the year. The following is the range of prices at present ruling for the various classes:—Best quality young Jersey cows, close to profit, £l6 to £l7; good sorts, £l3 to £l4; fair quality sorts and perhaps a little more backward, £9 10s to £lO 10s; aged and mixed coloured sorts, £7 10s to £8 10s; top quality fawn Jersey heifers at profit, up to £18; good quality sorts, £l3 to £l4 10s; cattle of fair quality, £9 to £lO IDs; small sorts of good quality, £lO to £11; small, backward and mixed coloured sorts, £7 to £B. Pigs.—Good yardings of store .and weaner pigs are being submitted at our sales, and are changing hands at prices pleasing to vendors, the prices ruling being as follows:—Large stores in good condition, 30s to 335; smaller sorts ih lighter condition, 26s to 27s 6d; slips, 23s to 255; choice weaners, 18s to 20s; others, 12s 6d to 15s.