WESTFIELD MARKETS.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17974, 20 March 1930, Page 11

WESTFIELD MARKETS.

DROP IN BEEF. RESTRICTED DEMAND FOR SHEEP. PIGS MAINTAIN PRICES. At the Westfield stock sale yesterday values generally tended to be easier. The demand for beef cattle, which were yarded in good numbers, had not improved, and prices dropped Is all round. For sheep, which came forward in rather more than average numbers, the demand was restricted and last; week’s rates were scarcely maintained. This applied in a lesser degree to lambs. A large offering of calves resulted in a decline in prices, particularly those for runners and heavy vealers. Pigs, penned in averaged numbers, sold freely, and fully maintained late rates. The following is a summary of the prices realised for fat stock for the last two weeks at the Westfield fat stock sales: —

Loan and Mercantile. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., report:— To-day, at Westfield, beef was penned in average numbers. There was no improvement in demand, and values again were lower for all classes. Extra choice ox soul at 37s per 1001 b; choice and prime, 34s to 365; secondary and plain ox, 31s to 335; prime young cow and heifer beef, 31s lo 335; secondary, 28s to 30sHeaw prime steers ranged in price from £l4 to £ls ss; lighter. £l2 JOs to £l3 17 s 6d; light, £ll to £t27s Gd; unfinished and small, £9 to £lO 15s; extra heavy prime young cows and heifers, £lO to £il 15s; heavy, £8 15s to £9 17s Gd; lighter, £7 5s to £8 10s; light, £6 10 £7 2s 6d; other cows, £4 JOs lo £5 J7s Gd. Sheep were yarded in average numbers and sold at late rates. Heavy prime wethers brought from £1 8s Gd to £i 9s 9d; medium prime wethers. £1 7s to £1 8s 3d; light prime wethevs. £1 5s Gd to £1 6s 9d; small and unfinished wethers, £1 3s to £1 os 3d; heavy prime ewes, 19s to £1 Is; medium prime ewes, 17s to 18s 9d; light prime ewes, 14s to 16s 9d; mferioriy fatted ewes, 8s upwards. Lambs were penned in average numbers and sold at late rates, prim. .• quality realising from 19s to £1 4s Gd and unfinished from 11s to 17s. Pigs were penned in average num ; bers. Values were firm at late qu > tations. Choppers sold from £3 to £• 11s; heavy and medium.baooners from j £4 8s to Vi 18s; light baconers ami heavy porkers, £3 14s to £4 4s; , medium porkers and light porkers, £3 | to £3 12s; small and unfinished per- j kers, £2 5s to £2 16s. Store pigs sold at late quotations. Large stoi brought £2 to £2 8s; slips, £1 Gs to £1 IGs; weaners, 10s to £1 2s. There was a large yarding of calves which met with a very dull sale. Runners and heavy vealers were considerably easier on last week’s quotations Runners sold at £4 6s to £5 7s; heavy vealers, £3 5s to £3 14s; medium, £2 13s to £3 3s; light, £2 to £2 Us: smaller, £1 8s to £1 18s; small am. fresh dropped, 7s to £1 6s; rough calves, 15s to £1 ss.

Dalgety and Company. At the weekly Westfield fat stock sale to-day ‘ cow keef was yarded ii well up to average numbers, with oul. a moderate proportion of heavy sorts The demand was slack, and a furthes stagnation in values took place. Coy and heifer beef was also offered h well up to usual numbers, with th. quality good. Competition was keen and values were again easier Extra choice ox sold up to 37s pe: 1001 b; choice and prime, 34s to 365: secondary and plain, 32s to 345; prime young cow' and heifer beef, 29s ti 31s; ordinary cow beef, 22s to 265. Heavy prime steers made £l2 7s G<' to £l4 12s 6d; other prime heifers. £ll 12s 6d to £l2 ss; light prime steers, £9 12s 6d to £lO 10s; extra prime young cows and heifers, £lO 5.to £l2 17s 6d; heavy prime cows anu heifers, £8 5s to £10; lighter prime cows and heifers, £6 15s to £7 7s 6d other killable cows, £s’7s 6d to £(' 2s 6d. ■ Sheep were yarded In more than average numbers, the quality being first-class. Competition was restricted, however, and last week’s values: were hardly maintained. We sold an extra well-finished line of wethers from the Waikato at 27s 3d to 29s 3d. There were four trucks In the line. Extra heavy prime wethers made 2 9s 3d; heavy prime, 28s to 28s 9d: medium, 275; light and unfinished, 25s to 265; heavy prime ewes, 17s 6d Ic 18s 9d; lighter, 14s to 16s 3d; other ewes, 8s to 12s. Fat lambs were offered well up to usual numbers, ru alteration in values being recorded Store and forward-conditioned lambs were in fair demand at late rates. Medium prime lambs made 17s 6d tc 18s; light, 15s to 17s. A heavy yarding of calves again came forward, and in consequence values declined on last week’s rates Medium to heavy vealer 3 suffered most, competition in these being most restricted. Heavy vealers made £3 8e to £4; medium, £2 15s to £3 ss; light £2 2s to £2 12s; small, 18s to 30s Pigs sold freely under steady competition at full late rates. Heavy baconers, £4 12s to £4 16s; heavy porkers, £2 18s to £3 ss;- medium baconers, £4 to £4 10s; medium porkers, £2 12s to £2 17s; light baconers £3 8s to £3 18s; light porkers, £2 5; to £2 10s. Alfred Buokland and Sons. .Alfred Buokland and Sons, Limited, report:—We penned beef to the number of 443 head, as compared with 400 head at last Wednesday’s market, comprising 283 steers and 160 cows and heifers. The quality generally was first-class. As was the case lasi week the demand was not strong and values again receded. Extra choice ox sold to £1 17s per 1001 b; choice and prime* £J..l4s to £1 16?; second-

ary and plain, £1 12s to £1 13s 6d; prime young cow and heifer beef, £1 10s to £1 13s; ordinary cow beef, £l 3s to £1 9s. Extra heavy prime steers ranged from £l4 15s to £ls 10s _ for steers from the Waikato; heavy prime, £l3 10s to £l4 12s Gd; lighter prime, £l2 15s to £l3 10s; light prime, £ll to £l2 12s 6d; small and unfinished, £8 10s to £lO 17s 6d. Extra heavy prime young cows and heifers made £lO to £ll ss; heavy prime, £8 10s to £9 17s 6d; lighter prime, £7 to £8 7s 6d; other killable cows, £4 10s to £6 17s 6d.

There was a full yarding of sheep, which sold steadily throughout with little or no alteration in values from last report. Extra heavy prime wethers made £1 9s to £l-103 3d; heavy prime, £1 7s 9d to £i 8s 9d; medium to heavy prime, £1 6s 6d to £1 7s Gd; light to medium prime, £1 5s 6d to £1 Gs 3d; unfinished, £1 3s to £1 5s 3d; extra heavy prime young ewes, £1 to £1 2s 3d; heavy prime ewes, 18s to 19s 9d; lighter prime, 16s to 17s 9d; other killable ewes, 14s 6d to 15s 9d; other ewes, 7s 6d to 14s (997 sheep sold). There was more than an average yarding of lambs,' including a large proportion of plain and unfinished. Values were on a par with recent sales. Extra heavy prime lambs made £1 2s Gd to £1 3s 9d; heavy prime, £1 Is to £1 2s 3d; lighter prime, 19s to £1 0s 9d; light prime, 16s to 18s 6d; small and plain, 13s 6d to 15s 9d (736 lambs sold). There was again a good entry of fat and young calves. Small vealers and rough calves realised late rates, but bidding for all other classes was slack and prices again receded. Runners made £4 7s to £8 ss; heavy vealers, £3 12s to £4 10s; medium, £3 to £3 6s; light, £2 6s to £2 13s; small £1 15s to £2 2s; bucket-fed calves, £1 4s to £1 10s; rough and unfinished, 18s to £1 3s; small and fresh-dropped, 5s to 16s (248 calves sold). Our offering for fat pigs was the largest for the season. Choppers were in extra keen request and our quotations show a sharp rise. Heavy and medium baconers also sold readily, but values for lighter pigs were inclined to ease. Baconers sold at equal to 6:]d to 7|d per lb and porkers at 7£d to 8d per lb. Choppers made £3 Is to £6 11s, according to weight; heavy' prime baconers, £4 13s to £5; medium, £4 4s to £4 8s; light, £3 15s to £4; heavy porkers, £3 7s to £3 Us; medium, £2 16s to £3 2s; light, £2 9s to £2 13s; small and unfinished, £2 | 3s to £2 7s; stores, £1 16s to £2 2s; slips, £1 5s to £1 10s; best weaners, 16s to £1 Is; suckers, Us to 14s; small and weedy, 5s to 9s (total of 74 2 sold).

BEEF (per This week. 1001b) — Last week. Ex. choice ox ... 38/Choice and prime ox 34/- to 36/35/- to 37/Choice and prime cow & heifer . SHEEP (per 29/- to head) — 33/30/- to 34/Pr. w’tilers 2 5/6 to 29/9 26/- to 29/6 Unf. w’tll's 23/- to 26/24/- to •25/9 Prm. ewes 1 4 / - to 21/17/6 to 24/Unf. ewes 8/- to 12/- — Pr. iambs 17/6 to 24/6 18/- to 25/6 Unf. lambs l!/-to CALVES (per 17/15/- to 17/Runners . . 845/- to 107/90/- to 177/G \ ealnrs ... 40/- to PIGiS (per head) — 80/34/- to 101/Baconers . 08/- to 98/63/- to 99/Porkers . . 45/- to 74/45/- to 78/Weaners . . 10/- to *2'2 / - 15/- to 22/-Sili-ps .... 26/- to 36/22/- to 33/Lge. stores 40/- to 48/36/- to 45/-