AMPLE FEED SUPPLY

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20950, 1 November 1939, Page 13

AMPLE FEED SUPPLY

CONDITIONS IN WAIKATO MEAT PRICES ANNOUNCED MORE ACTIVITY LIKELY Fat cattle are usually cheaper. Store cattle show little alteration in values. Smaller entries of dairy cattle are firm. Fat sheep are cheaper at all vards. Store sheep are sometimes firmer. Fat pigs show little variation. Store pigs sell at late rates. The cold winds experienced throughout the district early this week have been rather a setback to dairying production. Dairy farmers throughout the district report that the milk dropped noticeably during the cold snap. Fortunately, however, there is an ample supply of feed and the herds are not suffering on this account. Prospects are now more satisfactory for ensilage and hay crops, which previously promised to be lighter, and everywhere the pastures that have been shut up are reported to be coming away well. The district’s fat lambs are generally doing very well and the fact that they compare favourably with other years was indicated by the excellent showing of lambs at the Waikato Centennial Show last week.

With the long- delayed announcement in regard to meat prices now having been made available, export buyers will now be able to operate more freely throughout the district and the difference should be noticeable to some extent at the saleyards. Waikato meat circles have expressed satisfaction with the prices announced and graziers throughout the district should find the prices attractive enough to push ahead with their production of fat stock. The trade generally should take on a more active tone now that the vexatious delay in regard to the announcement of prices had been ended. Slacker Beef Market It is now apparent that the buoyant period for beef that is usually associated with the early spring months has now come to an end. Values have dropped considerably during the past several weeks and whether or not they have now reached a steady level it is difficult to say. However, the great majority of graziers have been able to benefit 1 from the period of good prices and it was only to be expected that the strength of the market could not be maintained over a longer period. It is many years since such a long period of buoyancy has been associated with the Waikato stock trade. Although sales have been made at a slightly lower level, store cattle have been selling freely at the various centres. At the Morrinsville sale on Friday 450 three and four-year-old steers were readily sold, top sorts making from £8 5s to £9 6s and other attractive lines from £7 17s 6d to £8 14s. The export prices for beef have been favourably received and those concerned with, the trade in the Waikato consider that prospects for the future are reasonably bright. Another Drop For Sheep Fat sheep dropped again in values at the central yards yesterday, the decilne being estimated from Is to 2s per head over all classes. Over the past fortnight, therefore, sheep have dropped back by roughly 4s per head. As with beef, fat sheep have experienced a fairly long period of buoyancy and there is nothing very surprising about the current slacker tone. It has to be remembered, too, that entries have been abnormally large during the last month and particularly during the last fortnight as farmers have been keen to unload their sheep after shearing operations. Whether or not, the advent of lighter entries at the central yards will serve to strengthen the market, it is difficult to say, but the loss of interest has not been merely confined to the central yards. At the smaller Waikato centres and at Westfield sheep have been cheaper in all cases.

Market For Pigs Increasing numbers of fat pigs have been coming forward at the yards, but there aie sufficient buying interests to absorb all offering. Light pigs are cheaper than they were and have now reached a truer level of values. Because of the keen competition of butter-milk buyers at one stage, light pigs were often selling out of all proportion to their actual value, but rapidly increasing milk supplies made buying necessary to the benefit of vendors. Baconers, however, have tended to firm a shade, this being more noticeable at Frankton yesterday when a rise of 2s per head was often recorded.