MARKED IMPROVEMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 14 September 1940, Page 2

MARKED IMPROVEMENT

JERSEY HEIFER SECTION , GOOD PRICES REALISED The main feature of the past week's activities in the livestock market has 1 been the marked improvement in real- j isations for yearling Jersey heifers, I states the weekly market report of New- | ton King, Ltd. Larger numbers have been dealt with through the medium of sale avenues since the last report, but nevertheless far from sufficient to meet the demand have yet been uncovered, and judging from the keen competition that has been the order for all grades, it is evident that buyers realise that the limited nature of supplies is more acute than was earlier thought. It is many years since realisations in advance of £8 have been enjoyed, but the law of supply and demand is definitely being reflected in to-day's operations, and prices bordering on the £8 10s mark have resulted in cases where well nourished good quality cattle have been displayed, while from £7 to £7 15s has been common, with the larger numbers of average sorts that have come forward. Similar cattle displaying average to good quality have changed freely at from £6 to £6 12s 6d, with lesser grades and hold-over heifers realising from £4 to £5. Sound empty cows and twoyear empty Jersey heifers have also enjoyed their share of inquiry, with some improvement on late rates for cattle displaying quality being noticeable. Other classes that have been dealt with at auction in the store cattle section have consisted in the main of Jersey rejects, the youhger sort of good framed Jersey cow enjoying free competition from graziers, while exporters have assisted in the realisations for other classes, values being firm at late rates. Graziers' lines of station-bred cattle have not been prominent in any yard entries, but the quotations available for sale by private treaty have been readily absorbed at values well up to late rates. Major saies since last report include 156 P.A. and cross bullocks at £9, 60 empty P.A. cows at £6, while a line of threeyear empty P.A. heifers changed at £6 10s, no saies of other classes under this heading having been effected on account of absence of quotations. Little business can be reported in the store sheep section. Oddments are occasionally dealt with under the hammer and sell at a very firm range of values under free competition. Paddock saies of sound-mouth ewes with lambs at foot have been recorded at from 35s to 37s, while ewe hoggets have changed at from 33s 6d to 35s, with wether hoggets selling at from 22s to 23s 6d. The position in the fat sheep and cattle sections reflects little alteration. Supplies in the fat sheep section are still very scarce, and as a consequence values are firm at late rates. Prime fat wethers are worth from 38s to £2, while lighter sheep have changed at from 33s to 35s, with fat ewes selling at from 2J)s to 31s 6d. Supplies in the beef section seem plentiful enough to arrest any further seasonal appreciation. in fact, it would seem that the ' best of this market has been seen, aljhough the market is more heavily burdened, values seem likely to remain reasonably firm at existing rates. Saies of prime P.A. and Hereford cows and heifers have been recorded at from £10 10s to £11 10s, lighter sorts changing at from £9 10s to £10, actual saies including 50 P.A. and Hereford cows at £10 10s, and 52 fat bullocks at from £12 to £15, according to weight and quality. Evidence of the sustained demand that is the order for dairy cattle is submitted in the results of a sale of a dairy herd on behalf of Mr. M. Urquhart conducted by the Stratford branch on Friday. The cattle were of average to good quality, but most of the springers were j October and November calvers. Never- j theless, free competition was the order throughout the sale, and a satisfactory clearance was effected. The best of the calved cows made from £16 10s to £19, others £10 10s to £13 10s, calved heifers £16 5s. The earliest of the springing I cows made £14 to £18, later calvers £9 j to £12, and springing heifers £12 15s j to £14 5s. Evidence of the strength of the de- j mand for yearling Jersey heifers is con- I veyed in the results of the stony river j sale on Tuesday, when a good entry was dealt with. The cattle in the main consisted of average to good quality sorts, but were wanting in size and condition. Nevertheless the whole entry enjoyed |

very free competition and realisations were much in advance of vendors' expectations. Good quality yearling Jersey heifers, a little small, sold at from £6 17s to £7, smaller sorts of average quality from £5 19s to £6 ls, lesser bred £5 10s to £5 15s, while liold-over heifers sold at from £3 15s to £4 ls. Two-year empty Jersey heifers were also freely sought and sold at from £5 13s to £6 12s, according to quality. Other fortnightly saies include the Hawera fixture on Thursday, when an average entry in all departments was dealt with and a full clearance was effected at values on a par with late rates. Average weight butchers' cows made from £6 7s 6d to £7 19s, lighter and plainer sorts £5 12s 6d to £6 6s, sound empty cows £4 14s to £5 16s, boners £2 to £3 5s. In the dairy cattle section good competition was in evidence for all classes. Springing cows sold to £14, springing heifers £12 15s to £14, calved heifers £11 10s, more backward and smaller sorts £7 to £9. A small yarding of pigs, consisting mainly of weaners. was penned at the New Plymouth haymarket sale on Friday, and keen competition was the order throughout the sale. Prices advanced slightly on those ruling last week. Top quality weaners made 33s to 34s, good quality weaners 28s to 31s, smaller sorts 25s to 27s, very small 18s to 20s, and average weight porkers £3.