ADDINGTON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 February 1939, Page 3

ADDINGTON

PRICES FOR EWES LOWEST FOR YEARS. FINE WOOLLED SHEEP HARD TO SELL. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, February 22. If today’s stock market in Addington is taken as an indication, ewe prices will be very cheap this year. Prices were the lowest for some years and were on about the same basis as some slump seasons. The entry of store sheep of about 21,000, including about 6000 lambs, was an excellent selection, but there appeared to be very few buyers in the large crowd of farmers attending. The best of the lambs made about last week’s rates, but inferior sorts were down by about Is 6d a head. Good rape lambs made 10s to 13s, with average sorts at from 7s 6d to 9s 6d. Hold-over lambs showing signs of quality made 4s to 7s, and light and plain types that made' 6s to 7s a fortnight ago were back to 2s and 3s 6d. Prices were almost disastrous in the adult sheep section. The selection of ewes was good and contained many of standard lines regularly seen at Addington at this time of the year. For the crossbreds and the few Romneys entered there was a good demand at reasonable prices, but fine-woolled sheep were difficult to sell. It took exceptional four-year half-breds to make 11s, and the best five-year ewes made to 9s 6d. The best two-tooth ewes made to 25s 6d, but the great bulk sold at from 13s to 16s, and good aged ewes sold at from 4s to 6s. Values were lower than for some years. The fat lamb entry was about 2000, as compared with 1800 last week. The quality generally was spoilt by too big a proportion of light lambs. Good butchers’ lambs met keen competition at full schedule rates and, in cases, a trifle more. The fat sheep entry' of about 5000 was almost the same as last week’s, but the quality was better. At the outset there was .a marked decline in price for ewes and wethers, but as the sale progressed buyers warmed up and prices returned to about the same levels as last week except for light freezing ewes, which were about 6d cheaper over all. The sale was slightly easier than last week, but not quotably so. Extra prime heavy wethers made to 24s 7d, prime heavy, 20s 6d to 225; prime medium, 18s to 20s; light to 15s; and extra prime heavy ewes made to 16s 4d; prime heavy, 13s to 14s 9d; prime medium, 11s 3d to 12s 9d; light to 8s 6d. The entry of fat cattle, which numbered 540 against 460 last week, was considered too large for requirements, and though the quality was better than for some weeks the sale was dull. Values were down by £ 1 a head all round, and much of the best steer beef failed to make 30s a 1001 b, the choicest not exceeding 32s 6d. Extra prime heavy steers made to £l5 17s 6d; prime heavy £l2 10s to £l3 10s; prime medium, £lO 10s to £l3; light, to £7 15s; extra prime heifers to £lO 7s 6d; prime, £8 10s to £9 10s; medium, £6 10s light, to 6; and extra prime cows to £9 17s 6d; prime, £6 10s to £8; medium, £4 15s to £6; light, to £4 10s. In the fat pig section the entry of porkers was small at the start, but the numbers increased, later making practically a normal offering. - From the. outset values maintained the high level of last week, but when the last race was reached there was a drop of from 2s to 3s a head. Developed choppers were in medium supply and again met a good sale. Baconers were forward in medium numbers and prices were fully maintained at last week’s rates. Porkers made 44s 6d to 56s 6d, an average price a lb of from 6Jd to 71 d; and baconers made 59s 6d to £4 12s 6d, an average price a lb of from 6d to 6|d, Choppers made £3 3s 6d to £5 3s 6d.