STOCK MARKET REVIEW

Taranaki Daily News, 24 June 1935, Page 13

STOCK MARKET REVIEW

TARANAKI ACTIVITIES GOOD GRAZING CATTLE SCARCE. DAIRY COWS SELLING READILY. Messrs.-Newton King Ltd. reports that the stock market generally displays a steady tone and, while yardings are somewhat smaller owing to the decrease in the number of reject cows doming forward to fortnightly sales, the volume of trade through the medium of private treaty is being well maintained. Perhaps the most conspicuous feature of sale entries is the absence of good grazing cattle, .and those in search of such are forced' 1 to .go further afield to satisfy their wants, but transport costs discourage this move and there can be nc doubt that a good entry, especiaUy of the younger classes, at one of-the Taranaki centres would at the moment receive a warm reception. Fattening cattle in good store to forward, condition are also popular, and any of this class that come under the hamnier are subject to spirited competition. While no keenness is displayed to purchase yearling Jersey heifers, a reasonably good market awaits top cattle, and the seeming scarcity of cattle displaying the quality desired by most purchasers, suggests that a firm market seems likely to rule throughout the winter. At the moment fair entries are being yarded, but their quality,* size and condition leaves a lot to be desired, and those other than good, quality cattle. are difficult to dispose of iat vendors’ ideas. Sales by private, treaty include 45 head of good, quality cattle at 37s 6d, while smaller lines of choice lots have been sold at up to £2. ..... . r Sales : of station cattle include a line of 30 P.A.,bullocks at £5 7s. . ‘ Business with store sheep shows an increasing tendency and softie large lines of breeding ewes have changed hands since the last report. Hoggets of ; both sexe? also enjoy their share of inquiry, and business wjth this class is all that quotations will allow. Store wethers, however, while not quoted freely, are not so popular and little or no business with this class can be reported. Sales during the week include 455 m.a. ewes mated to Southdown rams at 25s 9d, 350 4 and 5-year ew’es at 235, 200 good wether hoggets 15s 6d, 80 extra-good ewe hoggets 235, ICO f.m. ewes, Southdown ram 23s 6d. ; . . The tone of the beef section hints to a firm market at advanced rates being near at hand and, although no great improvement has been perceptible during the week, it' can be said that a slight hardening tendency has been in evidence. Oddments of prime cattle which come under the hammer meet keen bidding from butchers and export buyers, the best of the Jersey and Jersey-cross

sorts selling at from £4 10s to £5, medhim’ weights £3 5s to £3 15s, lighter and aged £2 10s to £3 ss, requirements of better bred cattle having to be satisfied •- by private treaty, cows of the Hereford and Polled Angus breed being quoted at from £5 5s to £6, while heifdrs of the sarpes breed sell at from £5 10s to £6 ss. The fat sheep market is reasonably firm at late rates, but a cautious atmosphere is the order. Supplies teem fairly plentiful, and the position to-day does not encOurage the hope of a firm market for any period. Butchers’ requirements are being satisfied as follows: Heavy fat withers 23s 6d to 24s 6d, 2-tooth wethers 21s to 235, while ewes sell at frofn. 16s 6d to 18s, '’with, occasional extra-good sheep realising in advance of the latter figure. Perhaps the most pleasing feature af- / fecting the stock market at this juncture is the continued improvement in the English markets for dairy produce and, while it is not possible to declare that its benefit is reflected in trade with in-calf heifers, it can at least be said that dairy cows of good quality due July and August are enjoying.\.‘a much freer market. No doubt heifers would also participate were, it not for the fact that few of the lines Offering are mated .early enough to satisfy pre'sent wants. In this regard It is not by way of choice that many of the requirements are being satisfied with cows, as

preference for their younger sisters is displayed with many buyers. The everincreasing popularity of the well-done genuine three-year-old heifer is becoming more and more in evidence, due to some degree, no doubt, to the lack of size that is so prevalent in presentday quotations, and a move to farm this .age cattle by holders who are not in a position to grow their cattle sufficiently to market as two-year-olds would in all probability result in freer changing. Evidence of the popularity of good quality young early calyers was clearly displayed at both Mr. H.'Wood’s sale held at Manaia on Monday last and Mr. Sciuchetti’s held at Okaiawa on Wednesday. At bpth fixtures the cattle came forward in good condition, and the quality left little to'be desired, Mr. Wood’s herd of 90 averaging £6 4s, while £6 10s was the average recorded for Mr. Sciuchetti’s herd ’of 33 cows. At both fixtures the best of the July and August-calvers made from £8 to £9, August calvers of good quality £6 to £7 10s, while those displaying a little age, and late, sorts, changed hands at from £4 to £5 10s. At Mr. Wood’s sale a line of 12 Tamworth sows were offered, and these realised an average of £5.

J’rade with in-calf heifers has eased a little. Sales during the week included three truck loads to northern buyers of average to good cattle at from £4 17s 6d to £5, while a line of 30 average to good quality two-year-olds changed ■hands to a Ideal buyer at £4 15s. At the Douglas sale on Monday a good yarding of both store and dairy cattle came forward.. The former were in good demand and values showed a considerable appreciation on recent rates, fat and meaty cows exciting keen competition from butchers’ and works’ buyers. With the exception of an odd beast or two the entry in the dairy section was not of good quality, and values were not up to the standard set at recent clearing sales. The entry of sheep met free competition, wether lambs making to 14s 2d, blackfaedd lambs a little small 11s 9d, fat and forward wethers 225, medium Romney ewe lambs 18s 9d. Prime fat Jersey cows made from £4 2s 6d to £5 Is, killable £2 12s 6d, good-framed reject cows £1 15s to £1 17s 6d, boners £1 2s to £1 8s 6d, 3-year springing heifers of good quality to £5, two-year in-calf heifers a little small and light in condition £2 7s to £3, Jersey-cross dairy cows of average quality £3 to £4, others £2 10s to £2 15s.

The Hawera sale on Thursday drew a good yarding of sheep and cattle and a bright sale throughout resulted. Fat two-toOth withers made from 21s to 23s Id, heavy fat hoggets 225, lighter 18s 6d, prime P.A. cows £5 18s 6d, lesser-fin-ished £5 Is, fat and forward sorts of the same breed £4 to £4 10s, fat cows ex the dairy £4 5s to £4 14s, lighter £3 to £3 18s, meaty.works cows £2 5s to £2 10s, good-framed reject cows £1 15s to £1 18s, boners £1 2s to £1 Bs, goodquality yearling Jersey heifers £2 Is. Entries in the dairy section included a herd on account of Mr. J. Hooper, average quality July calvers making from £5 to £6, August calvers £4 5s to £4 15s, plder and rougher sorts £3 to £3 15s. Entries from other vendors included some good quality cows, the best of

these making from £6 15s to £7 2s 6d, others £4 10s to £5 10s. The Waiwakaiho sale on Thursday drew an extra heavy yarding of dairy cattle, which was' supplemented by a good entry in the store cattle pens, realisations in the latter section being on a par with those ruling at the Hawera sale. The entry of dairy cattle included three herds, and despite the fact that a percentage of the entry consisted of aged and late cows, the clearance was generally considered satisfactory., July and ,August calvers made from £4 5s to *£s 10s, September calvers and aged cows £2 12s 6d to £3 ss. The entry included a herd of Shorthorn cows offered on behalf of Mr. W. Auton, and the best of these excited keen competition. Young July and August calvers made from £4 15s to £5 17? 6d, later sorts £3 2s 6d ■to £4 ss, aged and inferior bred £2 2s 6d to £2 15s, 2-year springing heifers of good quality but a little small £3 15s to £4, weedy and light conditioned sorts 35s to £2 Is.

Evidence of the increasing popularity of the farming of pigs Was displayed at a dispersal of Mr. Ritchie Fleming’s holding at Rahotu on Wednesday. The offering included some 45 TamworthBerkshire cross and Tamworth sows, the majority of which were maidens, and a splendid average-of £5 Is was recorded for the total consignment. Those carrying their first litter realised from £4 5s to £6 2s 6d, while other sows made from £5 5s .to £7, purebred Tamworth sows realising from £8 to £8 10s. The store pigs also met good competition, good stores making from 22s to 245, slips 17s to 19s 6d, choice weaners 13s to 15s, small Ils 6d.

Following this successful clearance, some disappointment was experienced at the New Plymouth Haymarket sale on Friday, when a full yarding was penned, but prices for some unknown reason showed a receding on last week's figures. It can be said, however, that the quality of the entry was not -up to the usual standard. Good conditioned stores made to 255, smaller sorts 16s to 19s, slips 14s to 16s, good weaners 8s to 11s, weedy and inferior 6s. STONY RIVER AND INGLEWOOD. STORE AND DAIRY CATTLE SOLD. The Farmers’ Co-op. reports that the Stony River sale on Tuesday drew an average yarding and with store cattle at late rates a total clearance under the hammer was effected. The dairy market is still slow, only heifers showing well down creating any demand. Realisations were: Fat cows to £4 16s, lighter sorts to £3 7s 6d, paddock coWs to £2 12s, store cows to £1 18s, bulls to £3 ss, m.t. heifers to £2 3s, weaner heifers to 255, dairy heifers to £4 7s 6d. At the Inglewood sale on Wednesday a large yarding of cattle came forward. A large number of weaner heifers was again yarded and was mostly disposed of. In the dairy section a number of in-calf heifers was submitted, of which the more forward sorts realised £4 7s 6d. A complete herd of 18 dairy cows was submitted by Mr. J. Edmonds, Kaimata, and realised up to £4 15s. Prac-

tically a total clearance under the hammer was effected and in most oases lots passed in were disposed of privately. Realisations were: Fat cows to £4 10s, lighter sorts to £3 10s, paddock cows to £2 4s, store Cows to 375, boners to 17s, bullocks to £4 10s, bulls to £3 15s, wean er heifers to 345; hold-over heifers to 245, m.t. heifers to £2, dairy heifers to £4 7s fid, dairy cows to £4 15s. CATTLE AT LATE RATES UNFINISHED HARD TO QUIT. SALE AT JOHNSONVILLE YARDS. / ■ Wellington, June 19. At the Johnsonville sale to-day Wright, Stephenson and Co.,- Ltd., and Abraham and Williams, Ltd., offered an average yarding of bullocks, a big one of cows, and a large sheep entry. The bullocks comprised chiefly prime mediumweight sorts, with a few pens of plain and light-weights. Prime cattle sold at late rates, while unfinished sorts were hard to quit. Some very heavy cows and heifers came forward. The competition was keen with a firming tendency. Light. and plain cows were slightly easier, , There was a smaller yarding of vealers than usual, and a good sale resulted, prices being up 5s per head on last week. Very few prime wethers were yarded. The balance of the yarding consisted of plain and light-weight sheep. Prime wethers sold well. at late rates, while plain and unfinished sorts were hard to sell. There was a good yarding of ewes of prime heavy quality, and very few pens of light sheep. There was a keen demand for all classes at late rates. There was only, a limited demand for lambs at prices on a par with last week. Cattle: Prime extra heavy bullocks, £lO 5s (single), £9 15s, £9 9s; prime heavy bullocks, £9 ss, £9, £8 15s, £8 12s; heavy bullocks, £8; light and unfinished bullocks, £7 15s, £7 8s; extra prime heavy cows ahd heifers, £7 (single), £6 15s (Single), £6 15s (single), £6 10s; prime heavy cows and heifers, £6 ss, £6, £5 15s; cows and heifers, £5, £4 10s, £3 15s; runners, £2 19s, £2 14s, £2 13s, £2 10s, £2 ss; ■ vealers, 355, 30s, 20s. Sheep: Prime extra heavy wethers 25s 3d, 24s 9d; prime heavy wethers, 23s 10d; 23s 4d; medium wethers, 235, 22s 6d, 21s 9d; prime extra heavy ewes, 20s 6d, 20s 3d, 20s; prime heavy ewes, 18s 6d, 18s 3d. 17s 9d; . medium 6Wes, 17s Bd, 17s; heavy hoggets, 235, 21s 9d; light hoggets, 20s, 17s lid, 16s 6d. DAIRY PRODUCE PRICES. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, June 22. Dairy produce minimum prices have been fixed on a basis of 10 5-8 d for butter and 5d for cheese, equivalent to 86s 4d and 44s c.i.f.e. respectively.