AN ALL-ROUND DECLINE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 524, 29 November 1928, Page 12

AN ALL-ROUND DECLINE

WESTFIELD STOCK VALUES OTHER MARKETS STEADIER By B.W.C. An all-round decline in values was registered at Westfield yesterday. At the moment the Auckland market is the lowest in New Zealand. Heavy yardings of sheep and cattle, well up to average summer figures, came forward to Westfield yesterday. Cattle met with a rather dragging sale, with values for lighter sorts not far above exporters’ levels. The smaller buyers were not bidding with their usual freedom. Little ox beef sold at over 40s a hundred, although auctioneers’ quotations for best ox are listed at 425, Is a hundred below last week’s quotations. Best cow and heifer sold up to 365, compared with 37s last week. An aggregate beef yarding of approximately 750 head compared with 900 last week came forward. Bidding on several specially choice show cattle, prize-winners at the recent Waikato and Auckland A. and P. Shows, was left largely in the hands of the buyers for the Auckland Meat Company and R. and W. Hellaby, Ltd. Sheep Market Also Easier Little short of five rows of sheep came forward. The smaller butchers did not appear to be present in their usual numbers and bidding was left largely to less than half a dozen buyers. The market had a decidedly easier tone, the difference, compared with last week, being as great as 2s a head in extreme instances. The quality of the offering generally was good. One of the best lines of the day came from the Towers Estate, Matamata; exceptionally choice prime wethers from this property made 34s 6d. Heavy prime young ewes, on account of a local vendor, that last week would have brought 28s without difficulty, only made 26s 6d. Good calves sold practically at late rates. Pigs, yarded in large numbers met with a dragging sale at lower prices. Looking Ahead At the moment the future position for the grazier appears bright, although indications all point to a general decline in fat stock values in the near future to levels nearer export parities'. The trend that way has already set in at Westfield and the Waikato. In the South the stock is apparently not coming forward with the same freedom as yet. It is not expected that the fat lamb season at the works will be fully under way for another fortnight yet. The Auckland works are handling from 500 to 1,000 a day at the moment, but the lambs, generally, are not quite ready. Only odd lots of cattle are being handled. The schedule rates for lamb published last week are unaltered, with 9id offered for firsts up to 361 b. Beef prices are not published, but exporters appear to be in the market around 35 a hundred. Everywhere store cattle are meeting with a keen demand at practically unchanged rates. Heavy Offering at Johnsonville A heavy yarding of all classes of stock came forward to the Johnsonville (Wellington) saleyards yesterday. Prices for ewe mutton, which was mostly of very finished quality, showed an easing tendency, while those for wether mutton compared favourably with recent rates, being if anything a shade lower. The quality of lambs yarded was good and prices were slightly lower than rulingrates. Beef was in keen demand, especially cow beef. Vealers sold exceptionally well. Quotations are:—Bullocks, £ls 15s to £l7 15s; cows, £l2 2s 6d to £l4 ss; vealers, £4 to £4 10s; wethers, 30s to 32s 3d; ewes, 23s 3d to 2Ss 3d; lambs, 27s to 31s. Hawke’s Bay Market In the Stortford Lodge (Hastings) yards yesterday a medium yarding of sheep and cattle came forward to a representative attendance of buyers. Competition was brisk and prices held on a par with last week’s rates. Fat bullocks made £l3 to £l6 16s; fat cows and heifers, £8 to £l3; forward bullocks. £l3 10s; two and 3-year steers, good, £lO to £ll 10s; 2-year heifers, £7 3s; cows and calves, £7 4s to £lO ss; store cows, £5 to £7 10s; yearling Jersey heifers, £4 5s to £7 10s; fat owes, 23s 3d; ewes, 2-tooth, to 31s 9d; 4-tooth woolly ewes, 345; woolly hoggets, 31s sd; ewes and lambs, 39s 6d; wethers, 26s to 28s. The Southern Market The fat sheep entry at Addington yesterday constituted a record, and the market was easier all round by about 2s 6d a head. Extra prime wethers made to 38s 6d; best ewes, to 32s 6d. An entry of 840 lambs met with keen competition at from to lid a lb. The market for an entry of 450 head of beef was slightly irregular, but prices on the average were a shade better than last week’s easier market. A few special pens of ox beef made to 50s; good average ox, from 45s to 48s; best heifer, to 475. Extra heavy prime bullocks made to £24s 17s 6d a head; extra prime heifers, to £l7 17s 6d a head. Westfield Prices Prices at Westfield yesterday ranged as follow:—Cattle, exceptionally heavy prime show bullocks made to £25; heavy prime station bullocks, to £l6 ss; medium. £l2 to £l4 15s; small and unfinished, £8 to £ll ss; extra heavy prime young cows and heifers, £lO 10s to £l2 ss; heavy prime cows and heifers, £9 to £lO 7s 6d; lighter prime, £7 to £8 17s 6d: other killable cows, £5 5s to £6 17s 6d. Sheep: Heavy prime wethers, to 34s 6d; medium, 29s to 31s; light and unfinished, from 235; extra heavy choice prime ewes, to 27s 3d; ordinary prime, 23s to 255; light and inferior finished, from 15s. Lambs: Extra heavy prime lambs made £1 7s 6d to £1 9s; for Border Leicester lambs from C. Hodgkinson. Glenbrook: heavy prime lambs, £1 6s to £1 7s 3d; lighter prime, £1 4s to £1 5s 9d; light prime, £1 2s 6d to £1 3s 9d; small. £1 to £1 2s. Calves: Runners made £4 17s 6d to £9 10s, the latter price being realised for the first prize fat yearling heifer sold on account of W. Newell, Tamahere, it being purchased by D. Brideson, Manukau Road, Epsom. Heavy vealers made £4 8s to £6 6s; medium, £3 10s to £4 ss; light, £2 12s to £3 3s; good bucketfed calves, £1 10s to £2 ss; rough and unfinished, £1 6s to £1 12s; small and fresh-dropped, 8s to £1 4s. Pigs: Choppers made £1 4s to £2 3 ss, according to quality: medium and heavy baconers, £2 9s to £3 3s; light baconers, £2 6s to £2 8s; heavy porkers, £2 3s to £2 7s: light and medium. £1 12s to £2; small and unfinished, £1 5s to £1 lls. Values for stores also eased considerably. Best framed made £1 Ss to £1 14s: smaller, £1 Is to £1 ss; slips, 14s to 18s; weaners. 3s to 11s.