PRICES FOR HOGGET MUTTON AND EWES WEAKEN; FEILDING SALE

Wanganui Chronicle, 23 July 1949, Page 6

PRICES FOR HOGGET MUTTON AND EWES WEAKEN; FEILDING SALE

PALMERSTON NORTH, Last Night (PA).—Showery weather ex-i perienced at the commencement of the Feilding liv e stock sales yesterday, did not prevent a large attendance. There were large offerings of both fat and store sheep, dairy cattle and a selection of station cattle. Wether mutton values remained firm and high, but prices for hogget, mutton and ewes tended to weaken, despite th e operation of outside buying interests. The wethers were really a nice selection, while hogget sorts were not quite up to recent quality and ewes were weaker. The market for store sheep was fully firm and station forward good quality bullocks sold at £lB 15s. The dairy cattle market was very active. Fat sheep pens obtained an entry of just on 2000 head with wethers and ewes predominating. For quality lines, mostly wethers, the buying power was stronger and mor e widely represented with competition mostly concentrated on wethers. Values for hoggets and ewes eased off somewhat and several lines wer e passed. Top line wethers traded up to 62s lOd, which was equal to last week's best price. Medium to'good quality sorts made from 50s 7d to 55s lOd and unfinished sorts from 45s 10s to 48s lOd. Only one extra prime line of hoggets sold at 47s Id and with the exception of two other pens, which sold at 40s Id and 40. s Id were equal to the best store prices. The bulk ol th e hoggets sold from 34s 7d to 39. s 4d. Ewe mutton was definitely cheaper, only one pen selling at the top price of 39s' 4d and the bulk of the large offering of prime sorts making from 34s l()d to 38s lOd. Values for store sheep were largely unchanged, although in odd cases there was evidence of firming for hoggets as some rather poor quality lines were traded at prices well above expectations. Weil over 3000 head were offered and in some instances vendors wanted more than buyers were offering and these pens were passed in. Several pens of wether hoggets realised better prices than the same class of stock sold for in the fat pens. Sales were:—Wether hoggets to 465; ewe hoggets to 465; in-lamb ewes to 555; wethers to 475. K Grazing and fattening interests were offered in some attractive station cattle. Big boned Aberdeen Angus beasts selling at £lB 15s. Primo Hereford cows were passed in at £lO 10s. Large entries in dairy cattle attracted a good attendance. The market was not so generally strong. Several good quality lines of young close to profit heifers were passed in. Springing heifers sold at £8 15s to £l7 ss; weaner and yearling heifers £5 5s to £8 12s; a very light entry of beef of ex dairy type heifers, £8 10s to £l3 ss; cow and vealer, £l2 ss. Prices for store cattle were largely round about late rates with fair competition for good sorts.