WOOL OUTLOOK

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 140, 10 December 1929, Page 14

WOOL OUTLOOK

MERINOS, AND CROSSBREDS

The displacement of merino sheep by erossbreds appears certain to take place in suitable pastoral areas in Australia, remarks the "Sydney Morning Herald," as a result of current wool and stock values. The following figures show the values ruling for stock at Homebush, Sydney, in November, 1913 and 1929:— 1913. 1929. Good to prime , shorn wethers .. 13/6 to 20/3 12/ to 18/ Good to prime shorn ewes .... 13/ to 20/ 11/ to 15/ Good to prime lambs and suckers 13/ to 16/ 15/ to 23/ The position of rates certainly favours lambs, in the. production o£ which crossbred sheep give the most favourable results. Probably the same decided swing towards erossbreds will not be seen as was noticeable in war-time years, when crossbred wool was in special request, but numerous graziers are making efforts to cater for the trade in lambs by purchasing long-wool rams. At the present time about 11 per cent, of the wool grown in New South Wales is crossbred. Before the war 10 per cent, was crossbred, but in 1920 it comprised 31 per cent, of the clip..

New Zealand, with her. 29,011,447 sheep and her clip of approximately 698,000 bales of wool, 98 per cent, of which is crossbred, should feel the present position less than Australia. She has the advantage of a relatively large drop of ready selling lambs to assist her which realise top market values. Best Canterbury New Zealand lamb sellß at better figures in London than the Australian product, frequently being %d to Id per lb dearer. "While the general run of merino wools are 30 per cent, cheaper than a year ago, fine and medium quality erossbreds are only 20 per cent, lower, and coarse erossbreds 12% to 15 per cent, lower than a year ago. The relatively better values available for crossbred wools are largely due to the fact that supplies of them have not increased like the quantity of merino grown. New Zealand only lias 5,000,000 more sheep than she had before the war, and Argentina, another great country for erossbreds, now only pastures 38,500,000 head, or 40 to 50 per cent, less than she had in prewar times.