STATION CATTLE DEMAND

Taranaki Daily News, 6 October 1934, Page 11

STATION CATTLE DEMAND

ATMOSPHERE RATHER UNCERTAIN. TIMIDITY OF HEIFER BUYERS. . The stock market of Newton King Ltd. for the week ■ ended to-day states ’ that although the weather has been somewhat severe, pastures have • greatly benefited from the recent rain, and the' closing of paddocks for hay and ensilage is general in most parts of the district. Stock business in general continues without much alteration in values, most attention being given to the store-cattle section,' in- Which- branch a buoyant tone continues. The demand for station-bred cattle has surpassed earlier expectations and yardings at back-country sales are readily disposed. of, prices in many instances having passed those only the most, sanguine would have. expected. This, fact applies especially. to the younger section of station cattle, as a comparison of Values with those ruling for, older cattle reveals some inconsistency. It has, however, to be admitted that the offerings of the younger classes are in the' minority and their scarcity has undoubtedly occasioned _ this ' discrepancy. ' The results of the firm’s Okau sale on Saturday were pleasing to- vendors. The’ yarding was a fairly representative one,-buyers were in attendance from all parts of the district, and practically a total clearance was made under the hammer. All classes met a keep reception, and -realisations were -on-a par with late rates. Quotations: Hereford and Shorthorn-cross store cows £3 2S to £3 8s 6d, mixed coloured store cows £2 9s 6d to £2 10s, 2i-year P.A. heifers, empty, £3 13s, 4-y Oar bullocks (a little mixed in colour but in good store .condition) £5 3s, store P.A. steers £4 10s, 2J-year P.A. steers in light condition £3 Ils, 3-year mixed coloured steers £3 Ils to £3 12s 6d, yearling P.A. steers (a little small) £2 15s, 20-months Shorthdm steers £2 15s, 20-months Shorthorn heifers £2 to: £2 2s, m.s. yearlings (weedy and a little; mixed in colour) £1 12s, average-weight ; fat cows £4 16s to £5, lighter £3 18s to £4 9S, light £3 7s 6d to £3 10s, pedigree yearling Jersey bulls 3J to 6>gns., 2year empty Jersey heifers £1 10s to £2 3s, good-quality dairy heifers (a little small and backward) £3 12s 6d to £4 2s 6d, others £2 10s to £3, cows with runners £3 10s, m.s. hoggets 19s 6d, ewes with white-faced lambs at foot (ewes in light condition) £1 4s. A -survey of the business transacted during the week at the firm’s fortnightly sales reveals that a somewhat uncertain atmosphere has been, Created with those who-usually favour the grazing of dairy heifers.. Possibly; the receding of the English markets for dairy produce has accentuated the timidity in buyers’ operations, for- the position at the moment gives little encouragement for tibri.-' Inquiry for the purchase of this class has been spasmodic throughout the year, and seasonal conditions are likely to have some bearing on the early future of the market; favoured with a spell bf good growing conditions, the market may yet stage a recovery. It can at least be hoped that the.advance of spring growth will sponer or; later by way of necessity occasion an’ improvement' in the demand and with it an appreciation in values. The position of the market in this branch can- be gauged from the results-of the firm’s Inglewood sale on -Wednesday, when about 300 head of yearling Jersey heifers were penned. The entry on the whole left a little to be desired as far as quality and bloom were concerned and,, with the exception of a few choice lots,' it cannot be said that bidding was keen, realisations being hardly up to late rates. Passings were frequent, but the greater percentage of the yarding chang-

ed hands after the Sale. A'pleasing feature was the keen demand for hold-over heifers, values for these showing little deviation from late realisations. Extra well-done heifert showing quality made to £3 2s, good quality Sorts £2 8s fid to £2 12s 6d, good quality cattle suitablefor late mating £2 Is to £2 4s, lesserbred cattle of size £1 17s 6d to £2, Holstein-Jersey cross sorts in good condition £1 17s 6d, good quality hold-over heifers £1 8s to £1 12s, average £1 ss, light conditioned and inferior 15s to 19s. The quietness of business in the store sheep section allows for little comment regarding values in-this branch. Inquiry is, however, strong, but want of quotations hampers trade and were holders in a position to quote with any degree of accuracy business of some magnitude would be completed. Hoggets and store wethers are freely inquired for, but there is evidence of the offering in these two classes falling short of the number required to satisfy the demand. As a. consequence there is a tendency; for holders to quote at values that make completing difficult. Ewes with lambs at foot can also be readily sold, but there again lack of quotations has occasioned little or no changing being completed. Shearing Operations will soon be in full swing, and by then some idea of the opening freezing schedule • should be available, and freer quoting should be the order. At the moment buyers’ ideas are approximately as follow: Full-mouth ewes with lambs at foot to £1 10s, ewe hoggets £1 5s to £1 7s, wether hoggets 20s to 225, store, wethers £1 3s 6d to £1 4s 6d, all in the wool. In reviewing the fat stock section, little alteration can be noted. Outside centres, however, reveal that larger numbers of beef cattle are now available,' and this influx has occasioned a slight receding in values. Local alteration in the market is not perceptible and values for prime young cows and heifers ' continue on a par with late rates, while realisations for the oddments at auction are firm. Butchers’ requirements for prime young Hereford and P.A. cows and heifers, range from £7 to £B, few, if any, quoting at below the former fig-' ure. while the best of the oddments at auction sell at from £3 5s to £6 ss, lighter £4 5s to £4 15s, plain and unfinished* £3 5s to £3 15s. Little alteration can be observed in values in the mutton section, but there is a tendency for the market to weaken, and its future stability will be entirely governed by export rates, want of information in this regard occasioning hand-to-mouth trading with local butchers'. At the -moment quotations for wethers range up to 295, while ewes are available at from £1 3s to £1 ss, all in the wool.

The series of bull fairs opened at the annual Waiwakaiho fair on Tuesday, when a catalogue of 195 bulls was submitted. The entry was a representative one and included some good quality animals of good butter-fat backing, and while no high prices were expected by vendors,, bidding throughout was slow and realisations fell short of expectations, the top price of the - day being 23gns. obtained for a yearling offered on behalf Of Mr. Harty Salway.- Other yearlings of good butter-fat backing sold at from 10 to 14gns., but a good percentage of this age changed hands at from 5 to Bgns. The -best two-year-olds made to, 20gns., and . of the lot ' catalogued 133. changed hands at an average of a little short of 9gns. The usual fortnightly sales included Urenui, which was held on Monday, when a good yarding in all departments was submitted, and despite the inclemency of the weather a free sale was the order. The entry of dairy cattle included ' a number of well-done 3-year-old heifers close to profit, and these realised from £7 to £7 ss, good 2-year--olds selling at froln £5 12s 6d to £6, average £4 10s to £5, small £3 2s 6d

to £3 ss, dairy cows £4 to £5, good weaner pigs 18s 6d, average 15s to 16s 6d, porkers 30s, fat ewes 225, m.s. hoggets 20s 7d, average quality, yearling Jersey heifers of size and in good condition £2 7s, hold-over heifers £2 8s 6d to 30s 6d, others 17s to 235, 2-year Shorthorn steers £3, light to average-weight fat Jersey cows £3 to £4, killable £2 10s, Jersey cows with calves at foot £1 7s fid, good-framed young Jersey and Jer-sey-croSs paddock cows £1 9s to £1 14s, boners Ils to 20s. Entries in other departments than the yearling heifer section at Inglewood sale on Wednesday-included a good entry of dairy and store cattle, while some 40 bulls were also offered. . Competition in the dairy section was keen for. anything showing quality and size. The best of the heifers made from £5 15s to £6 ss, average sorts £4 10s to £5, small £3 to £3 10s, inferior £1 15s to £2 ss, good quality young dairy cows £5 to £5 12s 6d, average £3 12s fid to £4 10s, others £1 5s to £2 10s. Grade 2 and 3-year Jersey bulls ranged in values from £3 15s to £6 10s, while pedigrees sold at up to 7gns. Grade yearling Jersey bulls changed hands at from £1 10s to £3 ss. The entry included a small number of Ayrshire yearling bulls, which sold at from £3 15s to £5 6s. The entry of store cows consisted mostly of the reject class, the younger sorts in good condition selling at from £2 7s to £2 Ils, good-framed young steers £1 8s to £1 12s 6d, boners 15s to 18s, fat Jersey cows £4 2s to £4 7s, lighter to plain £3 Is to £3 9s.

At the Stratford sale on Tuesday the inclemency of the weather occasioned fewer entries than usual, but keen bidding resulted in a full clearance. Fat hoggets made to £1 ss, store ewes 15s lid, paddock cows, Jersey sorts, £1 7s to £1 11s, empty heifers £2 to £2 3s, killable Jersey cows £2 10s to £2 14s, good quality springing Jersey cows £5 10s to £6 10s, springing heifers, average sorts £4 10s to £4 15s, poor £2 15s. The export schedule for pork has not been altered since our last report and, as a result, values for all classes of stores are firm, large stores in good condition and good quality well done weaners being perhaps the mojt popular. At the haymarket sale on Friday a full yarding of .all classes came forward and keen bidding was the order throughout the sale, a total clearance being effected. Good porkers made from £2 to £2 2s 6d, lighter £1 13s to £1 15s 6d, large stores in good condition £1 Bs, smaller sorts £1 ss, good slips £1 to £1 2s, others 18s to 19s, extra choice weaners £l, good 16s 6d to 18s, average 13s to 15s, small 10s 6d to Ils 6d,. weedy 9s. PIGS AND POULTRY. NEW PLYMOUTH PRICES. Newton King Ltd. report a full yarding at their haymarket sale yesterday, prices ranging.as follow: Good porkets, £2 to £2 12s; lighter, 33s to 35s 6d; good condition stores, 28s; small, 255; good slips, 20s to 225; extra choice weaners, 20s; good, 15s 6d to 17s; average, 12s 6d to 14s; small, 10s 6d; weedy, 9s. L. A. Nolan and Co. advise a medium entry- at their poultry sale yesterday. Prices were: Hens, 2s 6d to 3s 3d; pullets, 2s 5d to 3s; cockerels, Is lid to 3s; ducks, 2s to 2s 3d; chickens,' Id to sd; bantams, 6d to 9d; broody, 5s to 5s 6d; hens and chicks, 7s to 9s. NEW PLYMOUTH EGG PRICES. New Plymouth egg prices this week were as follow: First grade hen eggs 94d to 10W, second grade hen eggs 9d to 91d, mixed 9d to 10d’, duck'eggs 9Jd to 10d- ' ■