A FIRM TONE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 730, 1 August 1929, Page 10

A FIRM TONE

NEW ZEALAND STOCK MARKETS STEADY DEMAND FOR VEAL By K.W.C. Firm prices were recorded in the principal stock-selling centres throughout the Dominion yesterday. The market for fat sheep showed a tendency to move toward higher levels. At 'Westfield yesterday a short yarding of approximately 450 head of fat cattle was made up of a very mixed assortment, the average quality being well below that of last week. Well-fin-ished lines of heavy prime steers were well in the minority, while in the cow and heifer section the quality was such that little more than half a dozen beasts made over £lO. Some of the entries in this section, in fact, were only potters, and by no stretch of imagination could have been called fat. The best quality cattle came off Waikato pastures, B. Reed (Waerenga) and W. Vosper (Cambridge) having drafts of particularly well-finished bullocks forward. A truck of heavy prime steers on account of Holdsworth Bros (Whakatane) made the first quality line from that part for some weeks. The market for the ox beef held very firm at last week’s advanced rates, competition being particularly keen at times owing to a wider ring of buyers in the early part of the sale than usual. This was largely due to the fact that many of the smaller butchers bought earlier than is usually the case, under the impression that a further rise might take place following the report from Hamilton that beef had been making high prices there on the previous day. The demand for cows was not so keen, but this was largely due to the mediocrity of the quality. Heavy Yardings of Calves The heaviest yarding of calves this season came forward to meet with a very steady demand, although prices for some grades tended to ease toward the close. The capacity of the calf section was taxed to the full, the offering overflowing into the sheep section, where it took up an extra one and ahalf rows. Export operators bought freely on lines of small and freshdropped calves, offering from .6s, the average price for a medium-framed well-nourished calf of a few days old ranging round 10s to 12s. A rather good quality line of well-grown station vealers, a big percentage of which were of the Aberdeen Angus breed, offered on account of J. Pratt, Hamilton, met with keen competition from the butchers at up to £ 6 9s.

Sheep Market Firmer Slightly under an average yarding of fat sheep came forward. The average quality was only fair. Medium weight wethers predominated. The market opened to spirited competition, and, in the first six rows or so, prices showed an advance of up to 2s a head on last week’s rates. As the sale progressed, however, the buying strength became steadier and values eased to a level very firm to Is a head in advance of late rates. The first spring lamb of the season made its appearance and, as such, met with spirited competition to sell at the premium price of 34s 6d, D. Brideson, Epsom, being the buyer. Pigs were yarded in under average numbers, and prices for fats showed a slight advance on late rates. Stores met with a steady demand. Johnsonville Market At Johnsonville yesterday there was a large yarding of sheep and cattle. The cattle comprised mostly bullocks, with a few pens of cows and heifers. The quality was not up to the usual standard. A good sale resulted, with prices on a par with last week’s rates. Wethers and ewes met with a fair demand, with no material difference in prices as compared with late rates, ewes if anything being slightly easier. There were no lambs yarded.

Prices weifs: —Prime bullocks, £l4 5s to £ls 15s; medium bullocks, £l3 15s to £l4; light bullocks, £ll 10s to £l3 12s 6d; heavy cows, £ll 15s to £l3; cows, £lO to £lO 10s; heavy wethers, 38s 9d to 41s lOd; wethers, 36s 3d to 37s 6d; heavy ewes, 30s 6d to 33s 3d; light ewes, 26s 9d. Addington Market Very Firm

Increased entries were recorded in the beef and mutton sections at Addington yesterday. Fat sheep met with a very keen sale, prices for finished sorts moving up 2s a head on last week’s rates, making an advance of 4s 6d a head over the past fortnight. A few extra prime wethers made up to 535; prime wethers made 39s to 43s 6d; medium, 34s 6d to 38s; light and small, from 28s; extra prime ewes made to 47s 7d; prime, 33s 6d to 38s; ordinary, 28s to 335; light, from 225. Good hoggets to 345. At the outset the cattle market showed a drop of 25s a head, but hardened as the sale progressed and the decline was fully recovered, except in the case of harder cattle, which were about 20s a head cheaper. Best beef made to 52s a 1001 b; good prime, 47s 6d to 50s; heavy-weight, 44s to 47s 6d; ordinary, 36s to 40s; extra prime, heavy steers, £23 10s to £26 12s 6d; prime heavy steers, £2l 5s to £22 15s; medium-weight prime steers, £lB to £2l 10s; medium quality steers, £l4 to £l7; light steers, £l2 to £l3 15s;. extra prime heifers, to £2O 2s 6d; prime heifers, £l4 to £ls 10s; ordinary heifers, £ll 5s to £l3 ss; light heifers. £8 10s to £11; extra prime cows, to £lB 17s 6d; prime cows, £l3 to £ls; ordinary cows, £lO 5s to £l2 10s; light and aged cows, £7 10s to £lO. Good calves sold remarkably well, making from 50s to 80s for ordinary sorts. Vealers made £ 6 to £8 10s; and 12 to 18-months to £lO. There was a small entry of fat pigs and a better demand. Choppers made £3 to £7 11s 6d; baconers, £3 10s to £4 ss; heavy baconers, £4 10s 6d to £4 19s 6d (average price a lb, 6£d to 7d); porkers, 36s to 47s 6d; heavy, 50s to £2 18s Cd (average price a lb, 7£& to Sd). Westfield Prices Prices at Westfield yesterday ranged as follow; Cattle. —Extra heavy prime steers, to £l7 17s 6d; heavy prime, £ls to £ls 10s; medium, £l3 5s to £l4 12s 6d; light and small, from £10; extra heavy prime cows, to £l3 17s 6d; heavy prime, £9 10s to £11; medium, £7 10s to £8 17s 6d; light and small, from £5; potters, from £3 10s. Calves. —Runners made £ 5 to £ S 19s; heavy prime vealers, £5 4s to £6: medium vealers. £4 5 s to £4 13s; light, £ 3 2s to £3 19s; good bucket-fed calves, £2 11s to £2 18s; rough and unfinished, £1 8s to £1 17s; fresi i-dropped and small, 3s to £1 Is.

Sheep.—Extra heavy prime wethers made £1 19s to £ 2 3s 6d; heavy prime wethers, £1 17s to £1 18s 9d: medium to heavy prime, £1 15s to £1 16s 9d; light to medium prime, £1 13s 6d to £1 14s 9d; unfinished, £1 8s 6d to £1 13s 3d; extra heavy prime young ewes, £1 13s 6d to £1 16s; heavy prime ewes, £1 10s to £1 12s 6d; lighter prime, £1 7s to £1 9s 6d; other killable ewes, £1 2s to £1 6s 6d; hoggets made to £1 9s 6d. Pigs.—Choppers sold at £2 10s to £4 17s 6d: heavy and medium baconers, £4 to £4 10s; light baconers and heavy porkers, £3 10s to £ 3 18s: medium porkers and light porkers, £ 2 30s to £3 Ss; small and unfinished porkers, £ 2 to £2 10s. Store pigs were penned in large numbers, values being on a par with last week’s quotations.. Large stores made £1 16s to £2 4s; slips. £1 6s to £1 14s; weaners, 10s to ISs.