FINANCE AND COMMERCE

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1931, Page 11 (Supplement)

FINANCE AND COMMERCE

TARANAKI STOCK MARKET WEATHER AFFECTS SALES. BETTER INQUIRY FOR HEIFERS. Nfcwton King Limited’s report for the week stales: — Business transacted has largely been confined to the dairy section, and heavy yardings of both cows and heifers ba'v c been the order, but the severe wintry conditions do not encourage dairymen to /operate, as a general shortage of feed is noticeable, and until better conditions prevail there seems little likelihood of improvement. ■ Alteration in the beef section cannot be expressed. Hbwever, the disparity in. retail values as .compared with mutton should result in heavier beef consumption and a better demand for supplies may soon be expected. The Urenui ■ale on Monday last drew a small entry of prime ox, cow and heifer beef, which ■old under spirited competition. -Prime 3-year bullocks made £7 4s, heifers £6 2s, cows £6 3s. Values for sales by private treaty remain bp a par with late quotations. Supplies of mutton are • not plentiful ■ and the advance, in prices reported last week has been fully maintained. Ewes are extremely scarce and most requirements are drawn from the supplies of wethers, and few are available at under £l. Ewes are. yarded in small numbers and sell under spirited competition, and up to 16s has been recorded for medium-weight sheep. The inquiry for in-lamb' ewes continues to be good, but preference for those mated to southdown rams is shown. Sales of young ewes have, been •made at up to 16s 6d, while genuine 4 a nd 3-year sheep find a market at about 12s-6d, older sorts selling at from 7s 6d to 10s. Quotations of. store and forward wethers are not plentiful, and those available are readily absorbed at from 12s 6d to 13s 6d. Hoggets continue to find a good market/ especially ewes, but quotations of good sheep of this class aie not plentiful. Best ewes realise to 13s, others 10s 6d to Us Gd, while wethers Bell at from 8s 6d to 10s 6d. Activity in the store cattle section, is Very dull and the amount of stock offering is very small. A notable feature of the past week’s operations is the fall m values for works cattle. Buyers are operating strictly to schedule and prices for the oddments offering.range from Ws to, 255. Rarely has the latter figure been

exceeded. , • Outside inquiry, for yearling. Jersey heifers has increased and a ready market is found for the best cattle, but quotations are of a scattered nature. Generally speaking £3 10s stops most prospective buyers of this class, and a good many sales at about that- figure have been recorded during the week. Occasion1 al outstanding lines have realised to but as yet few sales at the price can be reported.; The increased demand is, however, sure to have a hardening cilect on the market, and holders who are awaiting a better market may soon have no difficulty in quitting. ■■ ■<■•- Continued lack of confidence and inconsistency in values is being displayed in the dairy section, the latter inasmuch as that values for good cows, compared with those for heifers of quality and size, are not in keeping- with previous season’s operations. Holders of heifers meet little inquiry for sales through private treaty and are forced to yard, but the demand at auction is also weak and lowprices continue, cattle at profit-: being the -only class' for’which there mcompetition. -Three-yeaf-blds meet with the best demand, and cattle in good condition, well forward and sold singly sell at up to £9, while good S-year-olds realise from £6 10s to £7 10s, an occasional outstanding beast selling in advance. Later calvers are yarded in.fair numbers but are dull of sale and sell at from £4,to £5 ss. . . . . The continued . 'good demand tor -genuine dairy /cowf? .was exemplified at Stratford on -Friday, when a dispersal of Mr. J. E; -Pelham’s-herd was conducted at; the Stratford: yards. The offering, consisted bf-.SO Jersey cows or good quality and' 10 in-calf heifers. A number of the <?ows had calved; and- the balance , were close to profit. The attendance was not large# but buyers operated freely and; a brisk, sale resulted, and 30 cows'averaging £9 17s, while-the heifer* averaged £9. Calved cows or. good quality made : £ll to £l3, medium sorts £9 to £lO 10s, .best cows at profit £l6 to/:£U 15s, others £8 to £9_ 10 s, calved heifers to £lO, springers £7 10s. to £lO ’ - . Entries- at the fortnightly sales have included'good numbers of cows of all classes, and young sorts at profit, showin* quality, have changed hands at from £B° to £9 10s. August l calvers of similar quality make .£7 to £B.- Later calveis have been dull of sale at from £4 to £a. Piffß were yarded to the full capacity of the yard at the New Plymouth Haymarket sale on Friday, . and as a result of the heavy yarding, prices showed a decline on last week’s realisations The majority, however, were sold. M ell-bred weaners made to 17s others 12 si to las, slips 19s to. 21s 6d, stores 2os 6d, light porkers 335. . • • -