STOCK MARKETS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 April 1938, Page 3

STOCK MARKETS

ADDINGTON PRICES. CHRISTCHURCH, March 6. Fat Stock sold well at Addington today, but the demand for breeding ewes was not as keen as recently. Store sheep: The yarding was considerably smaller than that forward last week, the total being 15,000. Few wethers were included, but they sold dully at lower prices. The ewes offered were mixed in quality, with little good stuff forward. There was a keen demand at full recent prices for crossbreds, of which there was a fair offering, mainly from the Chatham Islands. Fine-wooled ewes met with poor response, mainly because the quality was very mixed. The store lambs offered were most unattractive and values slipped. There was another keen fat lamb sale, and all sorts showed an improvement in values. For prime handy weights butchers were paying more than 8d and for this class there was an improvement of about Is 6d a head; other sorts were better by Is a head. There was keen competition, particularly from one firm. The quality of the yarding was in and out, with comparatively few pens of prime lambs.

Fat sheep: The entry was slightly smaller than last week’s. Few lines of top quality were entered, but the demand was keen throughout, especially for best sorts, which were up to 2s above last week. Wethers were also dearer by Is. Freezing quality sold slowly but without change. Values ranged as follows: —Extra prime heavy wethers, to 33s 4d; prime 30s to 32s 6d; mediumweight, 25s 3d to 29s 6d; ordinary, 20s 6d to 24s 6d; light, to 20s; extra prime heavy ewes, to 28s 4d; prime, 20s to 24s 6d; mediumweight, 16s 9d to 19s 9d; ordinary, 14s -to 16s 3d; light, to 13s 6d. Fat cattle: An entry of 580 head of mixed quality, with little good steer or heifer beef. Values were fully firm with best heifers up to 15/- dearer. There was a slow inquiry for old cows, which formed the bulk of the entry. Values were: Extra prime heavy steers, to £l6 17s 6d; prime, £l3 10s to £l5 ss; mediumweight, £l2 5s to' £l3 10s; ordinary, £9 5s to £ll 10s; light, to £9; extra prime heavy heifers, to £l3 17s 6d; prime £8 10s to £10; medium, £6 5s to £8; light, to £6; extra prime heavy cows, to £l2 2s 6d; prime, £6 15s to £9; medium, £5 10s to £6 IQs; light, to £5 ss.

Veal: The entry constituted an over-supply, and although the quality was good, the sale started at 3s to 4s below last week’s rates. Toward the end sales were very hard to make, and the market was back 10s to 20s. Values: Extra heavy runners, to £8 8s Gd, heavy £3 3s 6d to £4 8s 6d, medium £2 to £2 19s 6d; prime vealers, £2 15s to £4 12s 6d; medium calves, 24s to 435, small 10s to 21s. A full yarding of store cattle included an excellent draft from St. James station, Hanmer, which was the only quality line offering. The line consisted of two to three-year-old steers and heifers, and sold up to £8 10s for Polled Angus steers. Ordinary cows made £2 to £3 Ils, and bulls up to £l5 12s Gd. A medium entry of dairy cattle met with a dull sale, with values £1 to £1 10s down. The pork entry was small, and of good quality, and sold firmly. Bacon was also firm. Values: Light porkers, 36s Gd to 42s Gd, medium 43s Gd to 52s Gd, heavy 53s to 58s 6d, average Gid to G:,’d a pound; light baconers, 55s 6d to £3 3s Gd, medium £3 4s Gd to £3 9s 6d, extra heavy £3 13s Gd to £4 10s, average 6d to Grid a pound. The store pig entry was of medium size. The sale was dull, with small stores 3s to 5s cheaper. Values: Weaners, to 10s, extra good to 13s; slips, 13s Gd to 17s; small stores, 18s to 225; large stores 25s to 295.