CONFIDENCE IN FUTURE

Taranaki Daily News, 20 July 1935, Page 11

CONFIDENCE IN FUTURE

EFFECT OF MEAT AGREEMENT. DAIRY CATTLE INQUIRY GROWING. Newton King Ltd. reports that appreciation of the milder weather that has reigned throughout the week is found in all quarters of the district, and while no great advance in pastures is reflected, the hope of an early spring is en-. couraged. The main happening likely to affect future trade in the livestock market is the announcement made during the week regarding the meat agreement. In this regard the complete reversal of the outlook compared with 12 months ago has created a feeling of relief and of confidence in the future, and despite the season of the year it should not be long before the reflection of this appreciable decision is manifest in operations in both the beef and store-cattle sections.

Reviewing trade since the last survey, it is not possible to declare that any change of consequence has been observed in operations, except perhaps that dairy cattle are meeting a little freer sale, but at the same time prices have not enjoyed any advance. However, with the clearing sale season almost at a close, fewer avenues will be available from which to satisfy the increasing demand, and as a result some improvement in the demand for heifers may be expected. At the moment good quality well done cattle close to profit are very scarce, and as this fact has undoubtedly assisted in the buoyant tone that has reigned for cows possessing these qualities, the conclusion that an improvement in heifer values is near at hand seems logical. Heavy yardings of dairy cattle are being handled at all sale centres, and while a fair percentage of cows that appeal are included in the offerings, good heifers are conspicuous by their absence. Backward calvers and light-conditioned cattle are also being yarded in fair numbers in this branch, but little demand exists and low prices are the order. A revival of inquiry through the medium of private treaty has been encountered during the week, and a further exodus to northern buyers has resulted. Sales of extra good cattle, well forward, have been made at up to £6, while average to good sorts have changed hands at from £5 to £5 10s. One line of 52 August and September calvers, a little small, were put together at from £3 10s to £4.

Outside the good yardings of dairy cattle that have been handled, few, if any, entries of consequence have come under the hammer. Yearling Jersey heifers are being yarded in fair numbers, but here again the quality falls short of that desired by purchasers, and it is only where this is displayed that keen competition reigns. Fair inquiry exists for the purchase of this class through the medium of private treaty. A line ,of 48 good quality cattle but a little small was put together at from £1 15s to £2. At auction the quality of the entries warrants little advance of the former figure being paid, while prices for the lesser bred and lighter conditioned sorts range from £1 to £1 7s 6d, hold-overs of the best quality selling at up to £1 ss, while others realise from 15s to 20s. A good demand also continues for the purchase of two-year empty heifers, but requirements have to be satisfied from the oddments that are submitted to auction. Good cattle sell as high -as £2 10s, average £1 15s to £2, lesser bred £1 10s.

Inquiry for the purchase of stationbred cattle is also strong, but want of quotations hinders trade. Those of the Polled 'Angus breed take pride of place in popularity, sales during the week including a line of 30 store P.A< cows at £2 155.. Bullocks of the same breed are also popular, and up to £5 10s has been paid for well bred grown cattle.

The store sheep ’ section continues to enjoy a. Buoyant tone, and although no great advance is noticeable in regard to realisations, an early appreciation in the market for breeding ewes may be expected. Hoggets of. both sexes are also popular, but few. lines of consequence are offering privately, and the small lots that come under the hammer meet spirited bidding, and little difficulty is experienced in their disposal. Sales of ewes include ‘a line of 300 five-year ewes mated to Southdown ram at 26s 3d, while smaller lots of full-mouth sheep have been sold at from 23s 6d to 255.

' Regarding the beef section, encouragement of a further appreciation in values is offered by way of the limited nature of supplies that are at present available in South Taranaki. Most of the district’s requirements are drawn from this end of tire district, and the heavy exodus that has been occasioned by works buyers’ operations has depleted supplies to a degree that suggests a shortage before the winter is over. Polled Angus and Hereford cows and heifers are now being quoted at up to £7, while the values ruling for the oddments of fats ex the dairy, which are being submitted to auction, show a distinct hardening tendency. At the Hawera sale on Thursday extra good cattle from this source made to £6 Is, while at Waiwakaiho fat Jersey heifers realised from £5 7s 6d to £6 4s 6d. Realisations for the averageweight Jersey and Jersey cross cows range from £4 to- £4 10s, while lighter and plainer cattle sell at from £3 to £3 10s.

Although no great receding in values in the fat sheep section is noticeable, it must be said that a decided, weakening tendency is displayed. The inquiry for the purchase of both ewes and wethers is slow, and as there is nothing afoot that is likely to occasion any improvement in the market, and supplies are plentiful enough to satisfy the local demand throughout the winter, little or no improvement in to-day’s figures cin be expected.

At the moment fat ewes are quoted at up to 17s 6d, while wethers are offering in good numbers at from £1 2s to £1 4s. Clearing sales conducted since the last report include the dispersal of Mrs. M. G. Kurth’s live and dead stock on Barrett Road on Wednesday last, when the herd of 22 cows averaged a shade over £5. Good quality young early calvers sold from £7 to £7 10s, average to good cattle due a little later £5 5s to £6, later - calvers £3 10s to £4 15s, aged and inferior £2 5s to £2 12s 6d. Dairy heifers from the herd made from £3 7s to £4 15s. At Mr. H. Belcher’s sale of pedigree and grade Shorthorn cows held by tire agency in conjunction with the Farmers’ Co-op. a satisfactory clearance was effected. The best of the pedigree cows made from 8 to 9 guineas, medium 5 to 7 guineas, others 44 guineas. The tops of the grades realised from £5 10s to £6 15s, more backward sorts £3 10s to £4 10s. Small good quality twoyear heifers £4 to £4 10s. At the Douglas sale on Monday an average yarding was penned, a total clearance being reported. The better class of dairy cattle were in good demand, but poorer/quality and more backward sorts met with little respect. Four-tooth wethers made to 18s 3d, medium wether hoggets 13s 7d, killable cows £3 to £3 18s, meaty works cows £2 7s 6d, medium quality weanei - Jersey heifers £1 ss, good young Jersey cows at profit £4 to £5 10s, medium quality £3 to £3 15s, backward sorts £2 5s to £3, good quality three-year heifers close to profit £5 ss, poor £2 10s. At the Hawera sale on Thursday a fair yarding in all departments was handled, and a clearance on a par with late rates was recorded, good dairy cows again selling well. Wether hoggets made to 15s 2d, small ewe hoggets 16s 9d, light fat ewes 13s 6d to 15s, fat wethers 225,

fat hoggets 225. Good quality dairy cows at the drop made from £5 to £6 ss, others £3 to £4, choice daily heifers close to profit £6 to £7, average to good sorts £5, later and small cattle £3 10s to £4, inferior £2 10s to £2 15s. At the Stony River sale on Tuesday a small entry of stere cattle was handled, which sold at values on a par with late rates, but the entry in the dairy section was the largest that has been handled at this centre this season. Good quality young dairy cows were in strong demand, but the entry of heifers left a lot to be desired by way of size and condition and prices suffered accordingly. The best of the dairy cows made from £6 to £7, good quality crossbred cows, well forward, £5 10s to £6, medium sorts £4 10s to £4 15s, later and aged cows £2 5s to £3 12s 6d, good quality springing heifers £5 15s. small good quality twoyear springing heifers £4 2s 6d to £4 12s 6d, average sorts £3 5s to £3 17s 6d, later calvers and lesser done cattle £2 5s to £3. The entry of weaner Jersey heifers was keenly competed for, average bred cattle, a little small, making from £1 6s to £1 9s 6d, while heavy fat heifers made from Ils 6d to 20s. The Waiwakaiho sale on Thursday drew a good yarding of dairy cattle, supplemented by an average yarding in the store cattle pens. Forward dairy cows were in strong demand, and realisations in all departments were on a par with those obtained at Stony River. The Stratford horse fair conducted by the agency on Saturday resulted in a particularly bright sale. The entry was of a high standard, and all classes were keenly sought, the top price of the day, £6O, being obtained I for a five-year-old draught mare offered on behalf of Mr. Hector Mellow, Mahoe. Realisations for half to three-quarter draughts, fully seasoned, ranged as follows: £46, £42, £4O, £3B 10s, £32, lighter horses making from £2O to £2B 10s. Young mares of the spring cart to waggon class made from £32 to £36, unbroken draught gelding £45 10s, 18-months colt £lB, aged horses broken to all farm work from £l6 10s to £lB 10s. Hacks sold at from £4 15s to £B, and ponies at £5 ss. A buoyant tone prevails in the pig section, all classes being keenly sought, and as a result of few large stores being included in- the offerings, slips and weaners have shown some appreciation in value over the past fortnight. The New Plymouth haymarket sale on Friday drew an average yarding, and keen competition was the order throughout, prices showing a slight advance bn last week’s realisations. Good slips made from 20s to 21s 6d, average 17s 6d to 18s 6d, choice weaners 14s 6d to 16s, average Ils 6d to 13s 6d, weedy I '7s 6d, sows in farrow due August £2 12s 6d to £3 12s 6d.