QUIETER MARKETS

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20737, 22 February 1939, Page 13

QUIETER MARKETS

VALUES IN WAIKATO EWE FAIRS CONTINUE BIG BAM FAIR IN HAMILTON Fewer fat cattle are submitted at auction and values are sometimes lower. Store cattle meet with a quiet demand. Fat sheep are dull of sale. Little change is recorded for store sheep. Fat pigs have eased a shade. Storo pigs are variable of sale. Steady business has been transacted at Waikato sale centres during the week and while there has been a failing away in some sections this has been compensated for by the increase in other departments. Many price changes during the week have been in favour of buyers, but any dropping away from the previous vfeek's price level has been very slight. A lowered export schedule has depressed market values for fat pigs, particularly porkers, while a slow demand has continued for fat sheep. The sheep fairs have been well attended and while these fixtures have slipped back slightly as far as buoyancy is concerned there has been little actual fall in market values. A feature of this week’s activities is the annual ! Hamilton Ram Fair, which commenced ! at the Claudelands Selling Pavilion on

Monday and will conclude to-morrow. More than 4000 entries were submitted for this fair, making it probabl> the largest fair of its kind yet held in the Waikato.

Poor Beef Quality A feature of the fat cattle pennings during the week in the Waikato lias been the falling away in quality, the yardings at the central yards during the past three weeks being the poorest seen for close on 12 months. Yesterday at Frankton good ox beef was limited to a mere half dozen pens, the bulk of the offering comprising small and rough cattle for which the demand was quiet. At Te Awamutu and Morrinsville good beef has also

been in very limited supply and cattle entries have dwindled considerably. B<>ner entile, for which only slight price variation's occur from week to There ;s some speculation as to the reception that will be given store cattle at the approaching fairs, the first of which will be at Morrinsville ■n Ihe twenty-eighth when approximately iOoo head will be offered. The inquiry recently lias been fairly quiet and present prospects are that values will nut be on the same level as during 1 tlie corresponding period last year. Pastures are looking green .•nough at the present time, but there is comparatively little feed available for grazing stock. Market For Sheep Competition for breeding ewes at the Morrinsville fair on Friday lacked the edge apparent at previous fairs aid in many instances there was a noticeable falling away in prices. How much this was due to the inferior iuality of the sheep as compared with the standard of quality seen at previous fairs it is hard to say, but there was no doubt that the poor quality of many of the consignments had a depressing effect on competition. The market was in contrast lo the market for ewes at the Franklon yards the previous Wednesday when the demand for some of the top lines could be described as enthusiastic. One line of 300 outstanding live-year-olds sold io ihe bid of 23s Ctrl, Ihe best money received for this class this season. Other good prices were also received during the day, although poor quality -mrts were inclined to be slack. There has been no brightening in the market or fat sheep and some lines have sold at the lowest figures recorded for some years, prices for the t>est owes rarely exceeding 10s. Fat ambs. however, are holding their own and have been selling at full schedule cates. Easing Market for Pigs Following the downward trend at Ihe Frankton yards last week, values for fat pigs have been slightly lower at all Waikato yards and in view of Ihe present level of the export schedule there is littfe prospect of any immediate rise. Since the drop in values, fewer entries have been submitted. the penning at the central yards yesterday being the smallest for some months. At some centres 'here has been little difference noted for baroners, the slackening in inquiry being more noticeable for porkers. particularly the lighter weight sorts. Stores havie been meeting with a variable market, but there has been little alteration In quotations since last review.