RECORD WOOL ENTRY

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 156, 28 March 1939, Page 10

RECORD WOOL ENTRY

First Day Of Auckland Sale ' BETTER QUALITIES FIRM Keen Competition Within Rigid Limits / Dominion Special Service. AUCKLAND, March 27. A record entry of wool for Auckland, 36,185 bales, attracted brisk bidding by Bradford and Continental'buyers'when the third and final Auckland sale of the present season opened at the Town Hall today. Three catalogues, comprising more than 24,000 bales, were offered and the remainder, about 12,000 bales, will be put up for auction tomorrow.

Though quality wools were firm on recent values and the prices paid for better sorts compared favourably with those realized at the second Auckland sale in January, there was a large proportion of lambs’ wool and much of the offering was below the usual standard. As a result, the average price is not expected to be much in excess of Bd. a lb., or about £l2 a bale.

The clearance was about 95 per cent, of the offering of 24,800 bales and on lliis basis the estimated return to the growers from today’s sale is about £280,000. The average prices at the Auckland sale in January were 8.56 d. a lb., or £l2/15/6 a bale, resulting in a return of £293,673. The best of the wool offered opened up in the usual third sale condition and made prices that were very firm on those ruling at late sales and from id. to -Id. above those realized at the second' Auckland sale in January. Competition was keen but within most definite limits. Main support eame from Bradford and the Continent, both France and Germany being well to the fore, and there was also a certain amount of buying for Japan. The demand from the United States was almost negligible. A noticeable feature of the sale was that the bidding was confined principally to about a dozen men. Though there was a full bench of buyers, the majority were content to sit and mark their catalogues as the sale progressed, taking no active part in the proceedings. At the same time, with both Bradford and Europe definitely interested, there was no inclination for the sale to flag and bidding, without being spectacular at any stage, was c»nsistently brisk.

Crossbred, wools were in the heaviest • demand, as is usual in Auckland. Most o£ the medium and coarse wools were knocked down to Bradford or Continental buyers, and a small proportion •f coarse crossbred was purchased for the United States carpet-making industry. France dominated the market for bellies and pieces and Germany took a substantial quantity of higher grade crossbred. There was a very small entry of halfbred and fine wools and the lots offered were not keenly sought. The local mills were not prominent, and with the buyers concentrating on crossbred the prices for finer sorts were not spectacular. Southdown wool was definitely not sought by the buyers. A fair entry of East Coast wool sold well to keen competition. In one catalogue at least it topped the market for crossbreds, averaging about 94 cl. a lb. This wool was in good condition, being rather lighter than the rest of the offering and not showing discoloration. Passings were few and far between. It is estimated that less than 5 per cent, of the wool offered today was passed, and of that a substantial proportion was later sold by private treaty. Top price was llAd., which was made by two lots.

The ofiicial range of prices is: — d. d. y to 10 Southdown B 8 to 81 Ha If bred. 56/5S — Extra super 11 — Super to 11-1 Average 10 to 101 Ha If bred. 50/56 — Super —— Average 10 to 10* Inferior S} to 91 Extra tine crossbred, 48/50 — Super 9} to 10} Inferior 8 to 9 Fine crossbred, 46/48 — Super SJ — 91 Average to Inferior 4 -1 to si Medium crossbred, 44/46 — Super —- 91 Average 85to Inferior I A to Coarse crossbred. 40/44 — Super . . ., — Average 85 to 9} Inferior 7A to 8} Strong crossbred. 38/40— Super — Average ■ 9} to 10 Inferior 84 to 9 Hoggets— 52/56 10 to 11} 50/50 10 to 10} -1S/5G 9); to 10 46/48 9 to 10 Lambs— Down crossbred 85 to 9} Fine 9 8 to 11 Medium to 10 Seedy and interior i) to t A Bellies and pieces, crossbredGood to super e t j to 81 Low to medium ;> to •4 Halfbred 61 to 9 Crutehiiigs— Medium to good 7 to Si Inferoir to seedy ■ > to 6 A Locks— Crossbred 4 to 4<