BUOYANT MARKET

Chronicle (Levin), 4 August 1949, Page 2

BUOYANT MARKET

Store Cattle Sell Well At Stortford Lodge (Per Press Assoctationi HASTINGS, August 3. Store cattle agai-n sold on a buoyanj market at Stortford Lodge today, values showing a further advance on last week's improved levels. Farmers were offe'red 500 liead which included some lines of attractive quality. Bidding was spirited and well spread, farmeis showing keenness to stock up, no doubt being influenced by the way the giast, is growing. Values for bullocks ranged fronr £16 16s to £18 17s. Rising twovear steerS sold at £15 4s and weanei steers from £8 lSs to £10 6s. Quality incalf cows brought £13 19s. Harder cotiditioned in-calf cows were traded 'at £9 17s, in-ealf heifers at £ll 6's and weaner heifers at £7. Hard _conditioned empty cows realised £9 15s. The beef market recovered the deeline of tlie past two weeks. There wa.an average entry of 140 head \yhieh included some attractive pens of ideal butehers' weight cattle. The ox market ivas topped at £25 lSs 6d! with. a sing'ie quality Shorthorn cross bullock, and the heifer market with £18 3s 6d with tw> blacks. Five heifers averaged £17 19s Od. A draft of 21 well flnished medium weight A.A. bullocks averaged £22 7s with top price of £23 3s Od. 1'rime heaw weight ox sold at £25 18s 6d, medium weight at £21 16s. to £23 3s Od, un finished at £13 3s 6d to j£19 13s ^ 6d, prime heavy heifers £17 16s to £17 IS 6d, medium £14 8s 6d to £15 8s 6d, prime cows to £15 8s 6d and vealers to £6 19s. Not for many months have the store sheep pens been so empty as tliey were today. Four pens were suffieient to cope with the bulk of the entry of 600 head. As a result of the short suppl.v, values advanced sliarply on those ruling in recent weeks but the market wa= an entirely false one. Factors contrilmting to the sma.ll entry were bad weather for drafting yesterday and the eed position which is causing many farmers to hold on to §heep -for pasture control, which normally would be coming on to the market. Good wether hoggets made 43s 7d, medium 37s 8d to 40s 2d and'small 33s 6d. Medium hill country ewe hoggets realised 44s and Down cross hoggfets 34s 2d. Two-tooth wethers changed hands at 47s Sd and in-lamb two-tooth ewes 52s. All classes of mutton were dear when butehers were olfered an average yarding in which quality was not partieularly well featured. The biggest. advance was for ewes which were dearpr by •about 2s:-a- headfPi'im^wethers toppe#* the market at 62s 4d. Medium weight wethers were traded at 54s Id to 56s lOd and unfmished at 40s 4d tON 53s ld. Extra prime young ewes sold at 51s ld to 55s 7d, prime heavy older ewes at 41s 4d to 44s 6d, medium weights at 39s lOd to 40s 7d and unlinished down to 34s. Butehers paid 46s lOd to 54s ld for Down two-tooths and 53s lOd for Down four-tooths. There were not many hoggets in yards, average sorts bringing 37s 4d to 38s and small:30s.