BEEF IN KEEN DEMAND

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19661, 22 August 1935, Page 14

BEEF IN KEEN DEMAND

STRONG SALE FOR SHEEP. I PIGS MEET FIRM MARKET. V;; ' • ' ( FAT STOCK AT WESTFIELD. - ~ 1 Vardings well 'below the average brought a sharp advance in values for most classes of stock at Westfield yesterday, prices in cases being the highest since last year, when abnormally short yardings ruled. In view of weather conditions and the difficulty In getting stock in Marketable condition prices for several weeks are expected to advance somewhat. •The offering of beef reached barely 450 head but included fairly large consignments of excellent quality, the best coming from the Waikato. Competition was exceptionally 'keen and a sharp rise was general. Although extra choice ox beef was quoted at 29s per 1001 b. with other classes in proportion, values in some cases were well in excess of these. Prices per head advanced by fully £l, the top price of the day being again realised lor the offerings of Messrs Blackett Bros,, of Te Kawa, and Air B. Reed, of Waerenga, whose steers sold to £l3, with averages of well over £l2. In the cow beef market the exceptional price of £lO 5s was secured for very prime heifers from Mr V. H. Nolan, of Cambridge, compared with the previous highest price this season of £9. Although the supply of calves was fair it included very few heavier sorts, good runners being particularly scarce. Bidding was spirited and an exceptionally bright sale at improved rates resulted. What runners were penned sold well, a number realising over £5. Three to four week old calves were in demand and sold freely at up to 30s, with some higher values. Less than an average number of sheep was penned, but the quality was good. Competition was strong and values advanced by Is a head in the case of wethers, while for ewes they were fully 2s better. Lambs, mostly practically at hogget stage, also met with a good demand at slightly advanced rates. A few spring lambs commanded keen bidding to sell up to 27s'6d. A reduced offering of pigs of average quality sold in a firm market, the baconers offered being on the light side. For these price levels were unchanged, while porkers were the subject of keen bidding and were slightly higher, though generally prices per lb. were not in advance of those ruling recently. Baconers sold at from 5d to 61d per lb., and porkers, from aid to 5Jd. The few store pigs penned were of poor quality and failed to realise recent values. Quotations Compared. The following is a summary of the prices realised for fat stock for the last two weeks at the Westfield fat stock sales: — This Week. Last Week. BEEF (per 1001 b) Ex. choice ox 20/- 27/Choice and _, prime ox .. 25/- to 28/- 23/- to 26/Cholce and prime cow and heifer 24/- to 28/- 22/-t026/-Boner & rough 18/- to 23/- 15/-to 21/rr. H Unhn. owes . 10/- to 17/9 10/- to 15/0 Prime lambs 17/0 to 26/Unfln. lambs 15/- to 17/6 13/-to 16/9 CALVES (per head)— Banners 50/-to 108/- 45/-to 107/6 Vealers ... 30/-to 80/- 25/-to 74/PIGS (per head) — . wn/ Baconers ... 46/- to 70/- 46/-to 70/Porkers .... 31/-to 46/- 30/-to 45/Weaners .... 7/- to 15/- ,^-tol6/Sllps 14/- to 10/- IJ/*J°2O/Large stores 20/- to 28/- 21/-to^9/-South Auokland Consignments. Top price in the ox beef market was .realised for two consignments of prime steers from Messrs Blackett Bros., of Te Kawa, and Air B. Reed, of Waerenga, both of which sold to £l3. A truck from the former averaged £l2 Is 9d, while two trucks from Mr Reed, averaged £l2 7s 2d. '■Although there were few quotable cattle in the cow and heifer market the outstanding top price of £lO 5s Was secured for very prime heifers sold on account of Mr V. H. Nolan, of Cambridge, with an average for ten of £9 4s. A line from Mr 11. Windsor, or Matangi, sold to £8 15s, and for a truck from Mr S. Duncan, of Wlvangamarino, up to ’£B 12s Gd was paid. Other good cattle came from Mr R. n. Reed, of Waerenga, and sold up to £6 17s 6d.

Loan and Mercantile. The New Zealand Loan and ■Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, reports on the sale as follows': — We had a smaller entry of beef. Competition was very keen. We report a sharp rise, values being better by 15s to £1 a head, in odd cases, perhaps more. Extra choice ox sold to £1 9s per 1001 b.; choice and prime, £1 6s to £1 8s; ordinary and plain, £1 3s to £1 ss; prime young cow and heifer beef, £1 5s to £1 8s; ordinary oow heef, 18s to £1 3s. No extra heavy prime steers were penned. Heavy prime, £lO 5s to £ll 10s; lighter prime, £9 to £lO 2s 6d; light, prime, £7 10s to £8 15s; unfinished and small, £6 to £7 ss. Heavy prime young cows and heifers, £8 to £8 12s 6d; lighter, £7 to £7 17s Gd; light cows, £5 to £6 15s; other cows, £3 10s to £4 15s. Calves were penned in good average numbers and competition was ■keen, with values in advance of those ruling last week. Runners, £2 15s to £5 Is; heavy vealers, £3 12s to £4 Gs; .medium, £3 2s to £3 10s; light, £2 10s to £3 Is; smaller, £1 18s to £2 9s; small and fresh dropped, 5s to £1 16s; rough cnlvcs, £1 to £1 15s. Our yarding of sheep was less than an average one. Competition was keon, with values advancing about Is for wethers and about 2s for ewes. Heavy prime wethers, £1 9s lo £1 Its S|; medium prime, £1 7s lo £1 8s 9d: light prime. £1 4s io £1 6s 9d; small and unfinished. £1 Is to £1 .'is fid. Heavy prime ewes, £1 3s lo £1 4s 3d; medium prime, £1 lo £1 2s fid; light prime, 17s lo 19s 9d: interiorly failed, 10s to 16s. Heavy prime hoggets, £1 ■to £1 2s; medium. 18s fid to 19s fid; light, 17s fid lo 18s 6d; unfinished, 15s to 17s Gd, A few'spring lambs realised from £1 5s lo £1 7s Gd. Pigs were penned in small numbers and competition was keen, with values very firm on last week’s rates. No heavy baconers were penned. Choppers sold from £1 8s to £2 16s; medium baconers, £2 18s lo £3 4s; ■light baconers and heavy porkers, i'2 7s to £2 17s; medium porkers and light porkers, £1 5s lo £2 6s. store pigs were penned in average numbers. Large stores, £1 4s io £1 8s; slips, 14s lo £1; weaners, 7s lo 15s. /i : Buckland and Son. Messrs Alfred Buckland and Sons reporting on yesterday's fat slock sale, at Westfield, stale: We. penned fat cattle to the number of .153 head, 61 being steers and 92 cows and heifers,

as compared with 229 head last week. Ox beef was of excellent quality, competition was extra keen and values advanced for all classes. Extra choice ox made to 29s per 1001 b; choice and prime, 2Gs to 28s; ■secondary and plain, 22s to 255; prime young cow and heifer beef, 25s to 28s; secondary, 18s to 245; extra heavy prime steers ranged in price from £1 2s to £l3; heavy prime, £lO 10s to £ll 15s; light prime, £9 5s to £lO 7s 6d; light, £7 10s to £9 2s 6d; extra heavy prime young cows and heifers, £9; heavy prime cows and heifers, £6 10s lo £7 17s 6d; lighter prime, £5 5s to £5 7s 6d; other sorts, £2 10s to £5.

We had fully an average yarding of calves. Bidding was spirited and a particularly brisk sale resulted, at improved rates. Runners made £2 10s to £5 8s; heavy vealers, £3 14s to £4; medium, £2 13s to £3; light, £2 6s to £2 10s; smaller, £1 10s to £1 18s; unfinished and bucket-fed, 18s to £i 8s; bobby calves, 3s to 8s (235 calves were sold).

There was a moderate entry of good quality mutton, which sold at improved rates. Ewes advanced about Isa head and wethers 2s a head. (663 sheep sold). Extra heavy prime wethers, £1 10s lo £1 12s; heavy prime, £1 7s 9d to £1 9s 9d; medium to heavy prime, £1 Gs 6d to £1 7s 6d; light to medium prime, £1 5s to £1 6s 3d. Extra heavy prime young ewes, £1 2s Gd to £'i 4s; heavy prime, £1 Is to £1 2s 3d; lighter, prime, 18s 6d to £1 0s 6d ; other killable ewes, 15s to 18s; other ewes, 12s to Lis Gd. Lambs were penned to the number of 203 and found ready buyers. Extra heavy prime lambs, £1 4s to £1 (is; heavy prime, £1 2s to £1 3s 9d; lighter prime, £1 to £1 Is 9d; small and plain, 16s 6d to 18s 9d.

There was a smaller offering of pigs. The demand for baconers was about equal to last week, while porkers were in Arm request at slightly higher values. The quality of the stores was poor, and prices lower. Choppers made £2 5s to £3 6s; heavy prime baconers, £3 3s to £3 8s; (one made £3 14s); medium, £2 11s to £2 13s; light, £2 6s to £2 8s; heavy porkers, £2 3s to- £2 6s medium, £1 18s to £2 Is; light, £1 11s to £1 14s;. small and unfinished, £1 3s to £1 8s; ■stores, 19s to £1 2s; slip's, 14s to 16s; weaners, 'Bs to 11s; sows due to farrow, £2 2s 6d to £4 2s 6d; baconers sold at 5d to sjd per lb. and porkers, 5Jd to 5Jd. (A total of 241 pigs was sold). Dalgety and Company. We yarded 151 <iead of beef comprising 19 steers and 132 cows and heifers, against 105 head last week. The quality was fully up to standard and the smaller number of cattle offering accounted for the very keen demand at a short rise in values. We yarded no extra heavy steers.

Extra choice ox made to 29s per 1001 b.; choice and prime, 25s to 28s; just killable, 22s to 245; prime young cow and heifer beef, 24s to 28s; just killable, 18s to 235; light prime steers, £8 10s to £8 17s; small and unfinished, £5 15s to £8 ss; extra heavy prime young cows and heifers, £8 15s to £lO 5s for heifers from V. H. Nolan (Cambridge) ; heavy prime cows and heifers, £7 to £8 10s; lighter prime, £6 to £6 17s 6d; other killable cows, £4 to £5 17s Gd.

An average yarding of calves came forward, the bulk of the offering comprising young calves- The demand was keen and values showed a further improvement on last week’s rates. Heavy vealers made from £3 to £4; medium vealers, £2 11s to £2 18s; light vealers, £2 4s to £2 9s; small vealers, £1 10s -to £1 18s; rough calves, 12s to 255; bobby calves, 2s to Bs. An average yarding of calves came forward, the bulk of the offering comprising young calves. The demand was keen and values show a further improvement on last week’s rates. Heavy vealers, £3 to £4; medium, £2 lls to £2 18s; light, £2 4s to £2 9s; smaller, £1 10s to £'i 18s rough calves, 12s to £1 ss; bobby calves, 2s to Bs. The offering of sheep was only a moderate, one, with few lines of good quality. Selling under a steady demand, values improved slightly on last week’s quotations. Extra heavy prime wethers, 355; heavy prime, 27s 6d to 18s 6d; medium prime, 25s 6d to 26s 6d; light and unfinished, 21s 9d to 255; heavy prime ewes, 18s 9d to 19s 9d; lighter prime,’ 17. s to 18s 6d; other ewes, 14s 6d to 16s 6d. An average yarding of lambs was penned, and values ruled fully on a par with last week. Heavy prime lamb, 19s 3d to 21s; medium prime, 18s to 19s; light prime, 17s to 17s 9d. Fat pigs were yarded in short numbers. Competition was steady and all classes sold at values firm on late rates. Heavy baconers, £3 Is to £3 10s medium, £2 11s to £2 15s; light, £2 6s to £2 9s; heavy porkers, £2 2s io £'2 ss; medium, £1 17s to £2; light, £1 10s to £1 12s; small and unfinished, £1 to £1 Is.