PRICE FOR LAMBS?

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 45, 16 November 1940, Page 5

PRICE FOR LAMBS?

Australian Indications

The fat. lamb season is now under way. drafts having already been made in North Auckland and Hawke's Bay, but as yet the schedule price bus not been announced. As the “commandeer" prices were given out on November 9, many may presume that last’r’eason's lamb .schedule will automatically rule. 'That, however, is not to be reckoned upon. Two adverse influences make il highly improbable, indeed, impossible, without, the Slate undertaking a burden of considerable pro. portions. In light ol' lhe dairy industry’s experience, I see small prospect of that occurring.

The reference to adverse inlliieuces is to the 5 per cent, increase in award wages, and the debacle in the pell, market, which lessens "works" by-product returns. There is a third factor that will probably bear inllitenee, the extra overhead of recently and expensively-con-structed emergency storage chambers. With all these factors in mind, we published two or three weeks ago an opinion that the lamb schedule would almost certainly be lowered from last season's rates by jd. lb. We claimed no "inside” knowledge; nor were we in any way inspired, from any quarter whatsoTliat still pertains, and we.mill expect that jd. drop. Even so, lamb will be at. a good price. Australian Returns. As illustrating the pelts position, here are extracts from authoritative reports on the great Newmarket sale. Melbourne, where a week’s turnover equals a /eawon’.s killing of some smaller New Zealand

works. Pelts were valued so (brackets are prices these sheep made) : —(9/10), 1/6, ex 461 b. merino wethers, 2i months wool; (.15/3), 2/0, ex 531 b. merino wethers, early shorn; (18/9), 1/-, ex 601 b. prime Border cross wethers, one month's wool: (16/11), 1/3, ex 571 b. Merino wethers, prime, one month's wool; (14/6), 4d., ex 501 b. Merino wethers, fullmouth, oue month’s wool; (10/9), 3d., ex 461 b. Merino wethers, bare pelts, just shop mutton; (17/-), 6d., 731 b., ex Corriedale wethers, full mouth, prime, just 6>horn. Both pelt and sheep values were typical of a day so described in “Stock and Land”:- —“The accommodation at Newmarket was heavily taxed today as, all told. 125,393 sheep and lambs were entered, composed of 30.672 sheep, 70,000 lambs, and 24,725 store sheep and lambs. It was the heaviest yarding on record for one day at Newmarket. Thousands of old ewes sold at from 5/- to 10/6 per head, according to quality and weight; with a few at higher prices and many under 5/- per head.” Fat Lamb Values. An entry of, 70,000 fat lambs was disposed of at auction. Prime light Jamb, exclusive of skin and offal, made SRI. to Gd„ with Id. drop on heavier weights. A major portion of the yarding were from 251 b. to 351 b., and a fair number of top lines sold at from 20/- to 24/apieee; the top pen, of Dorset Horn cross, made 26/1. Exporters bought over 40,000 lambs this day and so obviously set the price. Some typical Down cross lines sold as follows: — 21/1, for 139, 381 b., well grown, shapely, well-topped, prime to choice. Skins worth 3/4. (The wool is the sale value, for a like line shorn had pelts valued at. 3d. —ILA.S.) 20/-, 178. 361 b.. prime, skins 3/3. 22/8, 116, 371 b., prime nnd choice, skins 3/3. . 19/8, 214, 361 b., just to prime quality, skins 3/3. , . . 17/2 236, 351 b., prime ami choice, shorn ami so pelfs 3d. only, 20/4. 552, 361 b., Dorset cross ami Down cross, good skins 4/-. 20/10. 128, 361 b.. pnnie-chotee, skins In one case, shorn lambs with 6-7 weeks’ wool growth had skins valued at 1/3. They were, however, 411 b. Down cross, which made 21/6. Those prices are equal to our "at port works” basis. Having regard to the fact that New Zealand is valued higher, ujider the commandeer, than is Australian, the prospect for fatteners here is seen as quite satisfactory.