LEVELS MAINTAINED

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20281, 25 August 1937, Page 13

LEVELS MAINTAINED

VALUES IN WAIKATO. KEEN TRADE FOR STEERS. FIRM MARKET FOR SHEEP. Pat steer* are quoted higher at the main oentre9, but a more variable sale Is experienced for cowe and heifer*. Store oattle are In request at Arm to higher rate*. Dairy oattle values are generally unohanged. Fat eheep are eharp of eale and are oooaslonally dearer. Where ohanged, store *heep values move In vendors’ favour. Inoreased entries of fat pigs make late quotations. It -was not generally anticipated that values for ox beef would show a'further lnorease at the central yards yesterday, for many believed that peak values had been reached at last week’s sale. However, It was found impossible to maintain the same high values for oow and heifer beef, but the inferior quality of the bulk of yesterday’s offering was no doubt due in some measure for the decreased interest. A buoyant tone has ruled in other sections, particularly in the fat sheep department where a still higher level for wethers was set at the Frankton sale yesterday.

Truoklng Oost*. j The report that sale* of Gisborne i ewes for forward delivery to the Wai- ] kato has been muoh slower than usual t this year is not altogether surprising i In view of the heavy expense in- i volved In sending the sheep through i to this distrlot. It is estimated that with , Inoreased costs the oost of driving the sheep to Taneatua and then truoklng 1 them to Waikato centres is now 2s 6d to 2s 8d per head. With the high i prices that are ruling for ewes the addition of such substantial oosts Is causing some degree of hesitanoy among Waikato sheepmen. Apart from the high trucking charges there must also be taken into account the oost of putting the sheep on the trucks and unloading and driving them to their destination at this end. The new East 'Cpast railway may prove of considerable assistance, but nothing definite fs yet known In this respect. A through freight to the Wal- - kato has been asked for and at a meeting- of stock and Btatlon agents with the general manager of railways it was hinted that a through rate of 3s 8d per head might be levied. Faster trains have also been asked for and certainly there is considerable room for improvement In this respect, the present amount of time taken to bring ewes from the East Coast to the Waikato is detracting from their quality considerably. In view of the dependence of this district on the East Coast districts for store stock, Waikato farmers generally will be anxious for a quicker and cheaper service. Market For Beef. The expectation that last week’s substantially Improved prices for ox beef would result In h. larger supply being forward for this week’s sales has not been realised as far as Frankton Is concerned and yesterday’s entry was even smaller than the previous week. The shortage of good beef resulted In another level of values being set and. a general Improvement of is to 3s per 1001 b was noted. Best heavy ox made from 34s to 42s per 1001 b. but In the case of lighter descriptions quotations were Is to 2s higher. The cow and heifer beef entry contained the largest proportion of inferior quality cattle for some time and this may have been a factor in the slight weakening of the market. Choice young cows and heifers now make from 33s to 355, prime cows from 25s to 28s 6d and second quality cows from i9s to 225. Values at Morrlnsvllle on Friday wore disappointing In comparison with those obtained at the central yards on the Tuesday and the light, entry of ox beef on offer was comparatively cheap buying, cows and heifers also selling below the values set at Frankton. Keen Values For Sheep. The buoyancy that marked the fat sheep market, last week has been apparent to a higher degree this week and yesterday at Frankton tho top prloe of sls 8d for wethers was Is fid higher than the top quotation of the previous week. However, the wethers that make top money at yesterday’s sale were of better quality than those which sold at the best figure last week. Yesterday choice wethers and

owes sold at ITrm to slightly higher values, hut fat and unfinished sorts In both cases were Just a shade cheaper In a few cases. Light entries have been oomlng forward at other Waikato centres and values generally have been below those ruling at the central yards. Keen Interest, has been shown In any lines of breeding ewes forward and at Morrinsvllle last Friday good 2-tooth sorts were ready of sale from 45s to 45s 9d. Fat Pigs Sought. Fat pigs have been generally steady and values have shown a return to normal. More baeoners are coming forward and there does not appear to he any prospect of any Immediate rise In values. Porkers continue to be traded readily and present Waikato values range from 40s to 935. Values, however, are liable to drop with Increased entries. Store pigs have been variable of sale, prices generally depending to a large extent on the size of the entries. American Aberdeen-Angus. ; Unprecedented Interest Is expected , to he taken In the sale of superlatively j hrc.il Aberdeen Angus rattle repre- ; sentlng the second Wavland llopley I consignment from North America which will he held In Wellington on I Friday. September 3. The offering ' will consist of 10 outstanding herd j sires and 10 heifers and young cows I which are In calf to 10 of the greatest 1 sires in the United States to-day. The j sale should have particular Interest, for the Waikato which lias established ; its claim ns the foremost distrlot in | I lie Dominion for tho production of | chilling cnlfle. However. it Is ! generally recognised that, to make ntwy j substantial improvement In the quality I of the beasts being produced for the chilled beef market that breed will have to play a more Important. part and mongrel stock will have to he eliminated altogether. The sale of ! the best American Aberdeen Angus stock offers an admirable opportunity I for graziers to obtain some of the best I blood in the world without the risk and expense of Importation.