BEEF PRICES FIRM

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 766, 12 September 1929, Page 10

BEEF PRICES FIRM

UP TO 61/- AT ADDINGTON N.Z. MARKETS REVIEWED By R.W.C. Firm prices continue to be recorded in the market for most classes of fat : stock at the principal selling centres of the Dominion. At ‘Westfield yesterday an aggregate yarding of approximately 525 head j of fat cattle did not.contain the quality of recent weeks; nevertheless, prices i held at late rates, all well-finished ! cattle meeting with a keen demand. In the aow and heifer section the ! highest per head price of the season | was secured for a line of exceptionally j heavy, prime, big-framed cows on acI count of A. H. Reid, Wanganui, j Although the offering of steers was | drawn from over a wide range, there ! were few extra prime cattle, a line I on account of B. Reed, Waerenga, being j practically the only one worthy of j special mention. It met with keen I competition at up to £l9 7s 6d. j Many of the entries in the cow and ! heifer section were not even good stores. There was a big percentage of dairy sorts which had obviously come straight from the herd with bad quarters or some similar defect. They showed no finish and at the best could only bo termed ‘ potters.” These sorts helped to hold up the sale. Heavy Yarding of Sheep The sheep yarding, comprising little short of five full rows, was the biggest this winter. The quality was mixed, but, generally, was well up to the average. The market opened with prices practically on a par with rate prices, but soon eased as the butchers prepared to pay premium prices for choice quality lots met their commitments. The difference ranged up to 2s a head at certain periods of the sale. The bigger butchering firms bought steadily and helped to counteract the effect of the heavy market. The first shorn sheep of the season came forward in a line of big-framed, well-finished wethers to make from 27s to 30s 3d. Each week now sees a slight increase in the number of spring lambs. An entry of approximately 50 yesterday made up to 36s for a line on account Farnsworth Brothers, Karaka, the tops of which went to D. Brideson, Epsom. Calves Self Freely Another big entry of calves came forward to* meet with a market practically on a par with late rates. Prices showed an easing up tendency toward the close. Small and fresh-dropped, calves met with a steady demand from exporters. Calves showing any size and finish were keenly competed for by the butchersAn average yarding of pigs sold at late rates. Stortford Lodge Market In the Stortford Lodge ' (Hastings) yards yesterday there was a heavy yarding of good quality beef and a moderate yarding of fat and store sheep. A further rise in the market for beef was recorded. Prime cows and heifers made to £l4 12s Gd: bullocks, £l7 6s. There was only a light yarding of store cattle. Empty Polled Angus cows, in good condition, £S 8s; prime ewes, 28s 3d. Stores, mostly hoggets; ewe hoggets, 30s 2d; wethers, 25s Sd; mixed sex, 245; store ewes hard to quit. Steady Demand At Johnsonville At the Johnsonville (Wellington) saleyards yesterday competition throughout was keen and a. total clearance was effected. Heavy-weight cattle was slightly firmer than last week’s sale. Medium and lighter-weight bullocks were on a par with last week’s rates. A few pens of prime cows met with a keen demand, but plain sorts were not sought after. The sheep yarding comprised mostly prime wethers, with a few pens of good ewes % Prices were on a par with last week s rates. A small number of spring lambs were offered and met with fair competition. Vealers were in keen demand. We quote:—Extra heavy bullocks, £lB 15s to £2O: heavy bullocks, £l6 12s 6d to £18; bullocks, £ls 5s to £l6; heavy cows, £l2 17s 6d to £l4 15s; cows, £lO 17s Gd to £l2; vealers, £2 5s to £5 ss; heavy wethers, 39s 6d to 41s; wethers, 37s 3d to 3Ss 6d; heavy ewes, 35s to 36s 6d; ewes, 32s 6d to 335; spring lambs, 31s Cattle Sell Freely At Addington Fat cattle met with a very keen demand at Addington yesterday. Values opened at from par to 10s a head better than last week and eased toward the close. All round, the market was a degree better than last week. Good prime steer fnd heifer beef made from 58s to 61s a 1001 b., and in cases to 635; medium, 54s to o<s; good cow, 52s to 555; secondary, 46s to o0s; inferior, down to 40s; extra heavy prime cattle, to £29 12s Gd; heavyweight prime steers, £25 to £27; prime medium-weight steers, £2l to £24 10smedium quality steers, £l7 10s to £2l : light steers, £l3 to £l7; extra prime heifers, to £22 12s 6d; prime heifers, £l6 10s to £lB 10s; medium heifers, £l4 to £lb ss; light heifers, £9 10s to £l3 10sextra prime cows, to £22 2s 6d; prime cows, £lb to £lB ss; medium cows, £l3 to _~ 10 15s 6d, light cows, £9 to £l2 10s The market for fat sheep was well up to that of last week. Extra heavy prime wethers made to 52s 4d; prime wethers, 4ts to 4os; medium wethers, 33s to 395; light wethers, 28s to 325; extra prime ewes, to 4os lOd: prime ewes, 33s to 38s; medium ewes, 27s to 325; light ewes, 22s to prime hoggets to 38s 6d; ordinary hoggets, 23s to 30s. Good 12-montli to IS-month calves made to £l3 Is; good vealers, £6 7s Gd to £8 ss; medium, £4 17s Gd to £6 2s Gdcalves, 35s to 50s. A small yarding of pigs met with a good demand. Prices were slightly firmer. Choppers made £3 10s to £7 8s 6d; baconers, £3 los 6d to £5 4s 6d; average price a lb, 7d to porkers, 44s to 67s 6d; average price a lb, 8d to '9Jd. A small entry and a good sale for weaners. Stores made 20s to 3‘7s; best weaners, 21s to 255: others. 11s to 17s. Prices At Westfield Prices at Westfield yesterday ranged as follow: Cattle.—Extra prime big-framed bullocks, up to £23; heavy prime, £l7 to £l9 7s 6d; medium, £l4 10s to £l6; light and small, from £10; extra heavy prime cow, to £l9 7s 6d; heavy prime, £l2 to £l6; medium, £9 to £ll ss; light, small, and unfinished, from £4 17s Gd. Sheep.—Extra heavy prime wethers, to 42s 3d; heavy prime, 36s Gd to 395; medium, 34s Gd to 3Gs; small and unfinished, from 31s; extra choice prime ewes, to 37s Gd; heavy prime, to 33s Gd; medium, 25s to 28s 6d; light, small, and unfinished, from 15s. Calves.—Runners made £5 15s to £9 2s; heavy vealers, £5 to £6 10s; medium vealers, £4 8s to £4 18s; light vealers, £3 16s to £4 Cs; smaller vealers, £8 4s to £3 14s; small and fresh-dropped, 7s to £3 2s; rough calves, £1 5s to £2 10s. Pigs.—Choppers sold at £2 10s to £4 2s; heavy and medium baconers, £4 to £4 14s; light baconers and heavy porkers, £3 to £3 16s; medium porkers and light porkers, £2 8s to £2 18s; small and unfinished porkers, £1 16s to £2 6d. Store pigs were penned in average numbers and sold at late quotations. Large stores made £1 12s to £2 2s; slips, £1 2s to £1 10s; weaners, 9s to 17s, CAMBRIDGE HORSE FAIR CAMBRIDGE, Wednesday. The annual spring horse fair was continued today and will conclude tomorrow. Today the gathering was a very representative one and bidding was brisk. The top price of the sale today was £l7 10s for a bay gelding draught soid by R. O. Fisher, Cambridge, to R. Knight, of Auckland. Good four to eight-year-olds brought from £2O to £36; good sorts, £l9 to £3O; others, £l2 10s to £l7. Shetland ronies sold from £2 to £5 15s. Five-year-old to aged draughts made from £35 to £4O, while several quality horses ranged from £4O to £47. The standard of horseflesh offered at the sale was an improvement on that of the previous sales, and competition was spirited for many offerings.