FINANCE AND COMMERCE

Taranaki Daily News, 23 August 1930, Page 15

FINANCE AND COMMERCE

TARANAKI STOCK MARKET BRIGHTER TONE MAINTAINED. BENEFIT OF SPRING GROWTH. The market generally maintains a bright tone and good business has been transacted during the week in all classes of stock state Newton King, Ltd. The mild weather continues, and this to some extent has assisted business. Most of the butchers continue to fill requirements with cow and heifer beefy bullocks for the greater part, and there are a number offering, being almost neglected. The saleyards have not attracted any lines of beef but all the small offerings of ones and twos have met with a ready .sale. In the paddock best prime cows and heifers sold at £lO Ids, £ll 10s and £l2 and good cows at £9 to £lO. in the saleyards best cows have realised £9 and £lO 10s and lighter sorts £7 to £8 10s. In the paddock prime bullocks are offering at from £l2 10s to £--/ 10s.

Fat sheep continue plentiful, and con-. sequently no hardening in prices has been noticeable during the week. Quotations have been: Ewes 21s 6d, 20s; wethers, 275, 26s down to 245. Under the heading of store sheep hoggets ’ are a steady selling class and difficulty is experienced in securing sufficient quotations. Ewe hoggets have sold at from 18s to 20s 6d, while wethers made 15s 6d, 14s and 13s for late shorn and smaller sorts. Quotations of store wethers are also scarce and any lines quoted are immediately sold. Sales of store and forward wethers have been made at 22s and of 2-tooth wethers iat 19s 6d. With the lambing season now in full swing business in ewes has been small, but as soon as the lambs are fit to travel good inquiry is anticipated. A small line of full-mouth ewes, in poor condition and with lambs, at the Waiwakaiho sale on Thursday realised 23s 4d.

At the fortnightly sales store and boner cows and yearling heifers made up the bulk of the entries. Good coloured store cows and those in forward condition continue to sell well, the latter at from £5 to £6 10s, while those in store condition make from £4 to £4 15s. Similar cows of the Jersey breed on an average make about £1 less. Jersey hold-over cows are selling freely at from £3 10s to £4 15s according to colour and quality. Works -buyers are not operating to any extent, consequently boner cattle are not being keenly sought after. A noticeable inquiry has come about during the week for steers, especially 2-year-olds, and with the approach of the spring cattle fairs in the back country it is expected this demand will be maintained. The mild weather which is bringing the grass on should have an influence in creating inquiry for store bullocks.

Large numbers of yearling heifers continue to change hands and prices generally have been on a par with tnose ruling last week whicn were: Best quality £5 to £5 10s, similar in ■quality but smaller, £4 to £4 las, wellgrown Jersey cross heifers £3 10s to £4 10s, medium size £2 15s to £3 ss. There is inquiry for small well bred yearlings suitable for holding over and keeping empty al from £2 10s to £3 10s, according to quality and condition. The fortnightly sales continue to attract good-yardings of both dairy cows and heifers, and keen inquiry has been ruling from good benches of fiuyers. Of the heifers yarded there has been a percentage of small and poor conditioned sorts, and this has accounted for the better quality cattle selling so well — they benefit by comparison. A noticeable feature of late has been that heifers of good dairy type, close to profit, of the Jersey-cross colour or brindles, are making almost as much as well bred Jerseys. The best prices for heifers close to profit have been from £lO to £l3 10s. Well-bred Jersey heifers of medium size made from £9 10s to £lO 10s and ordinary cross-bred heifers, according to size and condition, from £6 to £8 15s. Well-bred Jersey cows close to profit realised from £l2 to £l5, cross-bred cows from £lO to £l3, Friesian cows from £9 to £l2, backward, aged and poor conditioned cows of the above breeds, £5 to £B. Business- with in-calf heifers is still being done by private treaty, although the selection is becoming smaller every week. Sales effected have been-from £8 10s to £lO.

The firm is receiving inquiries for quotations of bulls, and the general indications are that bulls of good quality and condition will sell well throughout the sale season. Vendors would do well to take in. hand the. early preparation of their bulls.

The demand for pigs undoubtedly exceeds the supply, which is the reason for all classes, of pigs selling so well. Last week’s quotations have been firmly maintained and complete clearances have been effected at the Haymarket sales at Stratford. Inglewood and New Plymouth at the following prices’: Large stores 37s 6d to 455, medium stores 32s to 365, extra good slips 30s to 365, medium slips 23s to 265; extra good weaners 22s to 255, ordinary weaners 15s to 20s.

BEEF PRICES REMAIN FIRM.

FAT CATTLE NOT PLENTIFUL.

The Farmers’ Co-op. Organisation Society reports that the beef market remains firm and will no doubt be so for some time, yet fat cattle are by no means plentiful. Butchers are still filling their requirements without going very far afield. Very few good quality cattle are yarded for auction, most of the transactions being made by private treaty. Heavy fat cows are making £ll to £l2, lighter sorts £9 10s. to £lO 10s., cows from the dairies £7 to £9, heavy prime bullocks -£l4 to £l4 10s. and other bullocks £l2 to £l3.

Fat sheep prices remain on a par with those last week, most business being done with wethers, heavy wethers making from 275. to 28s. 6d., others 255. to 265. 6d., best ewes 20s. to 225. There is a keen demand for store sheep, especially for hoggets, good ewe hoggets making from 20s. to 225., others 17s. to 18s. 6<1., mixed sex hoggets 16s. to 17s. 6d. and for the very best up to 205., and good wether hoggets 15s. io 16s.

Very little business is doing with,inlamb ewes and ewes with lambs at foot, but it is only a matter of a few weeks until the majority of ewes. iamb. For these there is still a good inquiry..

The market for store, cattle is improving steadily,, well-tred ' tworyefir

steers making from £7 to £7 10s., three and 4-year ditto £8 10s. to £9, and yearling ditto £3 10s. to £4 ss.' Good yardings of store cattle are coming forward to fortnightly fixtures, and keen competition is shown for good young sound empty cows and good cows for the fattening paddock. Sound empty cows are making 'from £4 10s.. to £5 10s. and forward-conditioned paddock cows from £5 to £6 10s.

An inquiry has set in for Jersey yearling heifers, best quality cattle making from £6 to £6 10s., others £4 10s. to £5 os., good hold-over cattle £2 10s. to £3 ss. and inferior sorts 30s. to £2.

A very bright tone is shown in the dairy cattle section, and no doubt prices will improve as the grass comes away. Very few good quality cows and heifers are coming forward, and any offering are easily sold. Good dairy cows are making from £l3 to £l7, others £9 to £ll 10s., heifers £l2 to £l4, other inferior sorts £6 10s. to £lO 10s.

Pigs are selling exceptionally well, but few are offering. Small weaners are bringing 18s. to 235., stores 30s. to 375. 6d. and good porkers £2 to £2 13s.

DAIRY PRODUCE MARKET WEAK. LATEST LONDON QUOTATIONS. The butter and cheese markets in London are very weak, aceordng to cables received by Taranaki merchants. Turner and Co. received a cable from London yesterday stating that the butter market was demoralised and that holders were anxious.. Danish butter was quoted at J4os, New Zealand at 130 s to 132 s and Australian at 12Xjs to 128 s. The cheese market had declined and a further decline was probable because there was no demand. White cheese was quoted at '74s to 75s and coloured at 80s.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency’s advice is.—New Zealand choicest butter (salted), 132 s to 1345; white cheese, 75s to 765; coloured 80s to 81s. The market is weak.

A cable received by Mr/ E. Griffiths states.—The butter market is very weak. New Zealand finest, 130 s to 1325; firsts, 12Ss to 130 s; Danish, 144 s to 1465; Australian, 12Ss to 1325. Sales are very slow and Continental prices are declining. The cheese market is slow. New Zealand white, 75s to 775; New Zealand coloured, 80s to 81s; Canadian white, c.i.f.e. 745; Canadian coloured, 765. Joseph Nathan and Co. have received the following advice. —Fresh landed butter is very slow of sale at 130 s to 1325. Stored is neglected. White cheese, 745; coloured, 80s. The' market is weak.