Feilding Store Stock Sale
For the first time in many weeks, t he s t ore l amb entry at yesterday’s Feilding Store Stock Sale dipped to about 20,000.
The dip eased the logistical pressure for all involved with transport and yarding, but any slack was taken up by a larger offering of older steers with the easing of the exchange rate occurring at an optimum time. The reduction in the dollar must have helped as all the better cattle, steers and heifers, enjoyed a solid lift in demand leading to a rise in sale prices of a comfortable 10 cpk overall.
The sale started with run with ram and scanned ewes and these were well received considering their size and quality, as buyers realise numbers are low.
An accurate observation regarding the offering of store lambs was how plain so many of them were. These lambs have been hammered by the prolonged drought and will require some recovery time. Taking their condition into account, the store lamb market was fairly steady with a slight drop in the headline price but the estimated cents per kilogram price was firm on last week. TJ Matthews, Mangamahu, had a good result with 154 male lambs selling for $84.50 and 112 ewe lambs selling f or $ 79 with B&S Waters, Turitea, selling 192 cryptorchids for $83. There is still a solid demand for store lambs and, as yardings inevitably reduce in size, prices should continue to reflect that demand.
Good cattle were sought in the cattle sale and there were some good animals on offer. The heaviest steers were entered by Sanson’s Des Hart when he sold 13 traditional bullocks for $1635 ($2.35) and the big entry of angus steers from Ratanui Developments, Halcombe, were strongly bid up to over $2.30/kg and these were excellent cattle. Their 18-month steers were sought after too, although just pipped by 10 heavier Devon-cross steers from G Riach, Taihape, selling for $1160 ($2.18).
The bull market has still got the auctioneers scratching their heads — $810 ($1.97) for 14 18-month Friesian bulls from Double Bridges, Mangaweka, was the pick of the market and, in spite of firming schedules, there are still few bull buyers operating.
Top 18-month heifers lifted but the light heifers and the 2 year heifers were a battle again. It took $805 ($1.97) to buy nine Charolais- c r oss 1 8 - month heifers from TL Matamaire, Masterton, but t he plainer heifers were still well below $2/kg.
The sale finished with a few more weaners selling to deserted benches and, sadly, the vetted in-calf cows headed to the works.
Sheep (20,985): ewes (683); RWR (489), $54-$72; SIL (194), $90; lambs (20,302); 36-40kg, $72-$84.50, $2-$2.26, firm; 31-35kg, $57-$78, $1.78-$2.29, s t eady; 26- 30kg, $ 52-$ 61, $ 1. 78-$ 2. 24, steady.
Cattle (1182): steers; 2 year ( 400), 463- 695kg, $ 905-$ 1635, $1.88-$2.35, lift; 1 year (397), 261-533kg, $530-$1160, $1.69-$2.24, lift; weaners (17), 170-235kg, $305-$545, $1.79-$2.50; bulls; 1 years (50), 310-420kg, $505-$810, $1.63-$1.98, steady; weaners (43), 150-254kg, $260-$510, $1.42-$2.10; heifers; 2 year (25), 322-356kg, $500P-$570P; 1 year (177), 258-409kg, $510-$805, $1.73-$2.01, lift; weaners (38), 134-177kg, $315-$360, $1.95-$2.50; cows VIC (35), 5 0 8 - 5 3 5 kg, $728-$775, $1.43-$1.45.