AN EASING TENDENCY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 772, 19 September 1929, Page 10

AN EASING TENDENCY

WOOL PROSPECTS AFFECT SHEEP PRICES N.Z. STOCK MARKETS BY R.W.C. All classes of fat stock met with a steady demand at the principal stock selling centres of the Dominion yesterday, although the market is not without indication that a slight easing in prices in the near future would not come as a surprise. This is especially the case in regard to sheep. At Westfield yesterday a comparatively heavy yarding of approximately 630 head of fat cattle came forward to meet with a steady demand. Ox beef held at late rates, but cow and heifer beef was slightly easier, especially toward the close of the sale. The quality of the offering was mixed; there were not many lines of extra prime big-framed steers, but buyers were offered a fairly wide choice of well-finished handy-weight young cattle. The quality of the cow and heifer offering was slightly above the average. Another heavy entry of calves met with a steady demand, exporters operating freely on small and freshdropped sorts suitable for the bobby veal trade. There was a bigger percentage of well-nourished six to eight-weeks-old sorts which were keenly competed for by the butchers. Heavy vealers and runners were hard to locate. Heavy Offerings of Sheep The prospect of a considerable reduction on last season’s wool prices is having a decided effect on the sheep market, and the tendency now appears to be for holders of fats to send them on to the market in the wool rather than hold for shearing as in most other years. Heavy yardings were recorded again yesterday, five full rows coming forward to make one of the biggest sales of the last year or so. An appreciable percentage of the offering was passed in, and the market failed to recover last week’s loss of strength. Prices ranged from par to slightly below last week’s rates. Extra choice sorts met with keen competition, but bidding tended to drag on indifferently finished sorts. An indication of the trend of the market over the past month can be taken from the fact that yesterday’s offering of ewes contained two trucks from a line of approximately 900 from a South Auckland grazier. This vendor refused 32s a head for the line on the farm a few weeks back, and today is sending them forward in small lots to the yards to receive offers down as low as 255. An increased offering of spring lamb met a slightly easier market, prices falling up to 2s a head on late rates. In the pig section porkers were slightly firmer; stores sold freely at late rates. Hawke’s Bay Market At the Stortford Lodge (Hastings) yards yesterday a heavy offering of beef was offered to a large attendance of buyers, including several from the South Island. Late rates were easily maintained. Prime bullocks made from £l6 to £18; fat cows, £8 to £l2 15s; heifers, to £l3 10s; fat and forward bullocks, £ll 10s; Hereford cows in calf, £7 17s. There was a heavy yarding of fat ewes which made up to 295. The store sheep offering was made up mostly of hoggets; ewe hoggets made up to 30s 4d; wether hoggets, 27s Id; mixed sex. 27s 6d. Addington Market At the Addington sale yesterday the market for both fat sheep and fat cattle showed an easing tendency. A slightly heavier yarding of fat sheep came forward to meet with prices Is 6d to 2s below late rates. Prime heavy wethers made to 445; medium, 35s to 38s 6d; ordinary, 31s 6d to 345; light, from 28s. Extra primes ewes, to 47s;* prime, 32s to 37s 6d; light, from 21s; hoggets, 24s to 30s. An entry of 402 head of fat cattle with a big proportion very good quality included several outside lines. The result was a drop in prices of from £2 to £2 10s in heavy steers, with lighter sorts down by up to £2 a head. Good prime beef made from 53s to 55s a 1001 b.; odd pens, to 57s 6d; medium steers, 49s to 52s 6d; heavy beef, 47s to 51s; good cow, 48s to 51s; secondary, 40s to 455; and inferior down to 365. Extra prime heavy steers made to £27 17s 6d; heavy-weight prime steers, £22 to £25; prime me-dium-weight steers, £l9 to £22; medium quality steers, £l6 10s to £lB 10s; light steers, £l2 10s to £l6; extra prime heifers, to £l7 17s 6d; prime heifers, £ls to £l6 15s; medium heifers, £l2 15s to £l4 15s; light heifers, £8 10s to £l2; extra prime cows, to £l7 17s 6d; prime cows, £l4 10s to £l6 10s; medium cows, £l2 to £l4 ss; 'ight and aged cows, £ 8 to £ll 15s. Good 12 to 18-month-old calves made ip to £l2; good vealers, £6 7s 6d to £8; medium, £4 17s 6d to £6; calves, 35s to 50s. In the fat pig section porkers averaged 9d to 9Jd a lb., making up to 58s 6d; baconers averaged 7d to 7Jd a lb., making up to £5 11s 6d. Good stores made 19s 6d to 45s Gd; slips, 14s to 19s; weaners, 6s to 265. Prices at Westfield Prices at Westfield yesterday ranged as follow: Cattle.—Extra prime steers, to £2l; heavy prime, £l6 10s to £l9 10s; medium handy-weight sorts, £l3 10s to £l6; small and light, from £ll. Heavy prime cows, to £l6; medium handyweights, £9 10s to £ll 10s; small and unfinished, from £5. Extra heavy choice prime wethers made to 43s 3d; heavy prime, 37s 6d to 39s 6d; medium, 33s 6d to 375; light <ind unfinished, from 28s; shorn wethers made from 25s to 275; heavy prime ewes made to 34s 6d; medium, 26s to 29s 6d; light and unfinished, from 17s. Best lambs made to 335; average, from 28s 6d to 31s. Calves.—No good runners were offered. Medium--weights made £1 15s to £7 2s; no heavy vealers came forward; medium vealers, £3 18s to £4 12s; light, £3 2s to £3 10s; small vealers, £2 5s to £2 13s; good bucket-fed calves, £2 2s to £2 Ss; rough and unfinished, £1 4s to £1 10s; fresh-drop-ped and small, 5s to £L Pigs.—Choppers made up to £ 3 (no heavy choppers were sold); heavy prime baconers. £4 12s to £ 4 16s; medium, £4 5s to £4 Ss; light. £3 15s to £4; heavy porkers, £3 to £3 9s; medium, £2 12s to 217 s; light, £2 7s to £2 10s; small and unfinished, £1 12s to £2 3s. Stores made up to £2 2s; slips. £1 6s to £1 13s; best weaners, ISs to £1 ss; others, 11s to 15s (189 pigs sold). COLOMBO TEA SALES (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) COLOMBO, Tuesday. There was no tea sale at Colombo last week. As a result 3,600,0001 b were offered today. All grades were in good demand and the market was strong. The quality was barely equal to that offered at the previous sale. Next week’s catalogues will approximate 2,200,0001 b.