ADDINGTON MARKET

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22521, 1 October 1938, Page 13

ADDINGTON MARKET

HIGH BEEF PRICES

AN INSUFFICIENT SUPPLY

It has rarely been the case that beef‘at Addington at the end of September has been worth from 45s to 50s per 1001b, but this was the experience on Wednesday. If the small entry of just on 300 head, which included 30 or 40 that could have been sent to the store pens, can be taken as indicative of the supplies available in the country. then some good markets are in prospect. But this view is scarcely warranted, although perhaps there is not the quantity about that was expected. In- - the two last sales the aggregate penning was only 675 head, which on occasions has been exceeded at one sale, so that this week the scarcity was acute. A number of butchers were left without cattle when the market concluded, and those who were fortunate enough to secure a full supply through paying the high prices helped some of their colleagues out of their difficulty by selling a body or two to them.

It is true, as the prospects indicated some time ago, that very little beef has come from Otago and Southland this season, but on the other hand Westland has been more prominent in supplying the market. Perhaps a factor in the apparent scarcity has been the larger number of cattle offered at the weekly sales throughout the winter, and this has naturally drawn on the local reserves. This increasing demand for beef has been noticeable for the last two years, and it is difficult to account for considering the relative cheapness of mutton. A shortage of mutton does not cause the same concern to the trade, as there are sources from which n. ..tton can be obtained. As the list of sales in Thursday’s paper shows, some exceptionally high prices were realised for cattle, particularly for heifers, quality in which made from £ls upwards. One or two pens of heifers which would probably dress less than 5001b made about 55s per 1001b, but this price, of course, was above the market average. Much of the beef, however, was verging on the 50s mark. The values on Wednesday should influence next Wednesday’s entry ‘.o an extent that will give some idea of the amount of beef in the country. If entries of up to 500 head come forward, then it can be assumed that beef supplies are not. exhausted, but a further small entry will strongly indicate that they are getting towards that point. At this time last year there were over-supplies and a market weakening. . , • The following is a range of values compared wih those at the corresponding sale last year:—

Fat Sheep Although the entry was smaller, comprising what is generally regarded as a bare sufficiency—4soo head—there was not a particularly buoyant sale. The market seems slow in recovering, and as will be seen by the appended figures, it is a long way lower than was the case 12 months ago. Singularly enough at the sale then prices continued increasing, the actual advance on the day being about 3s. Good wethers on Wednesday improved by 2s to 2s 6d a head, whilst light sorts in practically forward store condition showed no change. Good ewes also rose by 2s near the end of the market. It was thought that the high price of beef would stimulate competition in the mutton pens, but if it did it was only to a small extent.

Store Sheep There was a very moderate selection in the store sheep pens. Of the fe r lines one of young Corriedale ewes, with a good percentage of fairly wellgrown Corriedale lambs, sold at 17s, but most other classes of sound and failing-mouthed ewes with lambs ranged from 12s 6d down to 10s, all counted. Hoggets sold a shade better, a fair-sized pen of well-grown making 13s 9d.

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£ £ £ £ Sept. 29, Sept. 28, 1937. 1938. Steers— . Ex. prime heavy to 183 18 to 24j Prime heavy 153 to 16i tO 20j Prime medium- . weight 133 to 15 163 to HU Ordinary 10i to 12i 13 to 164 Light to 10 to 123 Heifers— Ex. prime heavy to 14 133 to Prime 10 to 12 to 153 Medium 73 to 9J 113 to 15 Light to 7 to 103 Cows— Ex. prime to 14J 12 to 184 Prime 83 to 103 to 144 Medium 6| to 8 9 to H Light and aged .. to 6 to 83

s. S. 5. Wethers — to 52* to 36| Ex. prime heavy 29} Prime heavy 42 to 45 to 32 Prime mediumto 41 25} to 29 weight 37 Ordinary Light 32 to 36 to 31 22 to to 25 21} Ewes — Ex. prime heavy 35 to 453 22 to 27* Prime heavy to 40 to 24} Prime mediumto 34 17} to 21 weight 31 Ordinary Light 28 to 30} to 27} 14} to to 16} 14

Hoggets— Best ewe Ordinary ewe .. Ordinary wether 32 27 20 to 33i to 30 to 22i 11 to 132 Ewes and lambs — Ex. good S. and f.m. to 163 8 to 17 to 10 Ord. s.m. to 20| 10J to 12i