SURPLUS OF BEEF.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20295, 3 May 1934, Page 4

SURPLUS OF BEEF.

Values Fall at Addington Stock Sale. ST ORE SHEEP AT LATE RATES. A yarding of 735 head of fat cattle at the Addington stock sale yesterday represented an over-suppl}-, and even the best quality stuff was easier in value. The store sheep generally were not very attractive, but values remained firm, especially for the fine-woolled sheep. There was little quotable change in mutton values, which were firm. A yarding of vealers of exceptionally quality sold well. The dairy Jcattle 3 r arding also included some attractive sorts, and a brisk sale improved as it went on. Store cattle were slightly easier. In the fat pig pens, baconers eased towards the end of the auction, but in the case of stores values were slightly better- than at the double market a fortnight ago. Tat Cattle. The entry of fat cattle comprised 735 head, practically double the number of the average penning. There were some drafts of t really prime beef. One, of 38 Hereford and Hereford cross steers from St Helens Station, was particularly prime, and the tops made from £ll 2s 6d to £ll 7s 6d. Some truck lots of quality were also forward from the West Coast and local fatteners provided pens of more than average merit. A few baby beef quality sold at up to 25s per 1001 b, good prime from 20s to 225, medium quality from 16s 6d to IDs, heavy-weight to 17s Id and inferior quality down to 12s 6d.

Values were: Extra prime heavy steers to £ll 7s 6d. Prime heavy steers £6 15s to £8 ss. Prime medium-weight steers £6 to £7 ss. Ordinary quality steers £4 to £5 10s. Light steers to £3 15s. Extra prime heifers to £B. Prime heifers £4 to £6 15s. Ordinary heifers £2 15s to £3 10s. Light heifers to £2 10s. Extra prime cows to £7 12s 6d. Prime cows £3 5s to £4 15s. ■Ordinary cows £2 to £3. Rough cows to 355. Pat Sheep. The yarding of 6300 fat sheep, compared with 7000 at the double market, included a good percentage of rough stuff. Several export firms operated for under 64’s on a schedule id per lb higher than previously, bringing them into line with one firm which had raised its limits earlier in the season. Values were: Extra prime heavy wethers, to 29s Id. Prime heavy wethers, 25s to 275. Prime medium-weight wethers, 22s to 24s 6d. Ordinary quality wethers, 19s to 21S 6d. Light wethers, 14s to 18s 6d. Prime heavy ewes, 22s to 24s lOd. Prime medium-weight ewes, 19s 6d to 21s 6d. Ordinary quality ewes, 16s to 19s. Light ewes, 11s to 15s 6d. Store Sheep. Though there were several useful lines penned in the store sheep section, particularly among the wethers, the yarding was by no means an attractive one. Values were: Good two-tooth cross-bred ewes 29s to 30s 6d. Plain two-tooth ewes 17s to 19s 6d. Ordinary four and six-tooth half-bred ewes 21s to 22s 6d. Ordinary four and six-tooth cross-bred ewes 20s to 21s 9d. Medium six and eight-tooth half-bred ewes 21s to 235. Ordinary six and eight-tooth half-bred ewes 19s to 20s 6d. Low-conditioned six and eight-tooth ewes 16s to 18s. Ordinary s.m. ewes 16s to 17s 6d. Sound and f.m. ewes 13s to 15s 6d. Aged and inferior ewes 10s 6d to 12s 6d. Forward full-mouth half-bred wethers 20s to 21s. Medium full-mouth half-bred wethers 18s to 19s 6d. Ordinary two-tooth half-bred wethers 18s to ISs 3d. Store Lambs. Entries of store lambs were bigger than they were a fortnight ago. and they contained little of merit, there being many small tail-end lots penned. The market was weaker than it has been lately, and, except for a few pens of rape lambs that would finish off «n reasonably good time, values were easier. The demand for small and backward lambs was slow. Good ewe lambs were wanted. Top price was 22s 7d. which was paid for a draft of forward three-quarter-breds. Values were:— Good half-bred ewe lambs, to 21s. Medium half-bred ewe lambs 15s 3d to 17s 9d. Forward store lambs, to 22s 7d. Medium store lambs, 15s to 16s 6d. Inferior and plain store lambs, 9s 3d to 14s. Pat Lambs. Values were:— Extra prime heavy lambs, to 29s 4d. Prime heavy lambs, 24s to 275. Prime medium-weights, 21s to 23s 6d. Light lambs, 16s to 20s 6d. Vealers. There was an overflow entry of vealers, and the quality was particularly good. Exporters and graziers both bought freely. Good lines were forward from Southland and North Otago, and prices were fully up to those of last sales. Small calves were exceptionally scarce and dear. A particularly fine line of forty-three heifer calves from the New Zealand and Australian Land Company’s Moeraki estate averaged £3 13s lOd. Dairy Cattle. There was an entry of sixty-two head, the quality being very good. The sale was a brisk one from the outset, and improving towards the close. Top price for heifers was £9 and for cows £9 10s. Values were:— Extra good second and third calvers, to £9 10s. Good second and third calvers, £6 10s to £7 ss. Medium second and third calvers, £3 10s to £4. Extra good heifers, to £9. Good heifers, £7 to £B. Medium heifers, £4 to £5. Store Cattle. There was a heavy entry of store cattle, the bulk comprising cows of poor class. A good line of twentyeight cattle from Molesworth Station in good forward condition sold at £5 11s. A pen of two and a half to th-ee-year Friesian steers made £2 10s. The market was slightly easer than last week. Fresh cows made from 30s to 40s, backward sorts 20s to 255, calves 12s to 18s 6d and potting bulls to £3 12s 6d. rat rigs. There was a good entry of fat pigs. The demand was fair until the concluding stages, when it was easier for baconers. There was some buying for export. Values were:— Choppers, £2 to £4 ISs 6d. Baconers, 44s 6d to 52s 6d. Heavy baconers, £2 15s 6d to £2 19s 6d. Extra heavy baconers, £3 5s 6d to £3 10s 6d. Average price per lb, 4Jd to sd. Porkers, 28s to 33s 6d. Heavy porkers. 35s 6d to 39s 6d. Average price per lb, 4Jd to sid. Store Figs. A large entry of store pigs was forward. It included a big proportion of weaners and small stores. Large stores were In good demand, especially Tam worth-Berk shire cross. The market showed a slight improvement. Values were:— Weaners, 6s to Bs, good to lls. Slips. Ss to 10s. Small stores, 10s to 12s. Medium stores. 12s to 14s. Good stores, 15s to 17s. Extra good, to 265. Sows in pig. 45s 6d.