STOCK MARKET

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 22690, 18 August 1945, Page 9

STOCK MARKET

SEASONAL RISE IN PRICES FAT CATTLE ADVANCE SHARPLY The wetter and colder conditions this week have caused a delay in the progress of the new season in the Waikato and a spell of fine weather would be particularly welcomed at this stage. A seasonal hardening in values has been apparent at saleyards throughout the district and the immediate outlook is for an upward tendency in quotations as long as the present shortage of supplies continues. A new peak in fat cattle prices was reached this week at the central yards when values were easily the highest this year and probably the highest for two years. The price per 100 lb in many cases was estimated to be in the vicinity of 60s, one pen of light-weight bullocks selling to a bid of £l6. Heavy sorts were traded from £l9 5s to £23, a truck of eight Polled Angus bullocks from Messrs Blackett Bros., of Te Kowhai, selling at the high average price 6f £22 8s 6d. Shortness of Entries The market was a short one at Frankton for both ox and cow beef, but there does not seem any likelihood of any substantial improvement in supplies for some weeks. Many cows that would normally sell in the boner pens have been selling at keen prices in the beef pens. The quality of the cow beef offering at Frankton on Tuesday was not high class, the limited lines of good quality sorts selling readily from £l4 5s to £l6. Only odd lots of runners and vealers have been on offer and values consequently have been firmer. The supply of fat cattle during the next few weeks will largely depend on the rate of grass growth in the district, as graziers would be able to top off their forward store cattle if there is a reasonable amount of grass available. The fat sheep market generally has been very firm despite the fact that wethers at Frankton did not seem to meet with quite the same keen demand as the previous week. However, ewes and lambs showed no alteration at this sale. Best wethers have been selling from 45s to 47s 6d in comparison with 45s to 49s last week, but ewes have remained at practically the same quotations. Fewer lambs have been penned and quotations have not provided such a reliable comparison. Pennings of fat sheep have been very small at some centres and the high values often realised have not always been a reliable indication of the market. Store Sheep Market Store sheep have been in animated request and a feature of this trade has been the improvement for inlamb ewes. One line of 2-tooth ewes sold this week at Frankton at 38s. Hoggets tended to firm, one line of 296 ewe hoggets selling at 32s 6d, another line of 97 at 325, and a further line of 297 making 30s 9d. I Well-grown wether hoggets changed i hands from 26s to 28s. Keen prices have been reported from other centres where the market has been animated for all classes of store sheep. Fat pigs have been selling readily at unchanged rates, with baconers being knocked down from £4 17s to £5 12s, and porkers from £3 3s to £4 7s. In some cases, stores and breeding sows have been slightly easier of sale.