IMPROVED WOOL PRICES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 16 November 1927, Page 8

IMPROVED WOOL PRICES

WELLINGTON’S OPENING SALES COMPARED.

NOVEMBER, 1926-NOVEMBER, 1927.

(By “Sundowner.”)

In view of our Napier wool sale to be held on Friday next, it is of interest to make a brief comparison between the opening Wellington sales of 1926 and 1927 as regards the prices secured for wools similar to those we have for sale in Hawke’s Bay and from the East Coast.

In November, 1926, a catalogue of 11,179 bales of wool were offered, approximately 90 per cent, of this offering being sold under the hammer. At the corresponding sale this year only 9000 bales are reported as being offered, and presumably the bulk of this was cleared under the hammer.

The smaller catalogue this year is no doubt due to the somewhat wetter and hence later shearing season, but this would not in any way affect the price paid by buyers, as thby are aware that, so far as can be estimated, this year’s clip will be of considerably greater extent than last. A feature which should please thp farmer this year is that in spite of his wool being considerably heavier in condition than last year, the improved demand for wool, and the sounder produce we have to offer, has more than counterbalanced this. The following brief table may help to give growers an appropriate idea of the increased value of their product during the past twelve months:—

Of the wools in which we are mainly concerned, it will be noticed that tne biggest average rise has taken place in coarse halfbred, this amounting to 5d per pound in super. As the wool becomes coarser the advance in value shows a decrease when super qualities are compared, showing clearly the demand for fine woolk to replace the shortage in the Australian clip. The increase in value of super over inferior lots of the same class is also very noticeable. This is accounted for by the increased condition this year in the average and inferior lots, and also shows the preference of American and Continental-buyers, who have to pay heavy import duty for the lighter conditioned and more attractive wool.

Owing to our Hawke’s Bay wools being considerably sounder anil longer in the staple this year than last, we have reason to hope that the rise in values between our first sales last year and this will be even more marked than at Wellington.. It is also probable than when Bradford takes more of a hand in the bidding than her buyers apparently did in Wellington, we may see a still firmer tone.

Wellington’s First Sale Nov. 1026. Nov. 1927. Rise, d. d. d. d. d. d. Coarse Halfbred— Super 14 to loj 19 to 20i 5 Average 13J to 14J 16 to 183 Inferior Up to 103 14 to 15j Up to 6 Fine Crossbred— Super 13 to 14J 17 to 181 4 Average 11J to 13 15 to 17i 3J to 4j Inferior 9j to 103 13 to 14i 31 to 3J Medium Crossbred— Super 12 to 133 16 to 173 4 Average 10i to 12i 11 to 153 3J to 3} Inferior 83 to 10| 12 to 133 31 Coarse Crossbred— Super 11 to 12 14 to 153 3 to 3J Average 10 to Hi i-’L to 141 21 to Inferior 73 to 9i 10 to 12 21 to 2J