Stortford Lodge: Cattle yarding sells well, prices down for store lambs

Cattle sold well at Stortford Lodge.

Store lamb prices were down for a small, mixed-quality offering at yesterday' Stortford Lodge sale.

Agents said the sale was back about $5 to $6 a head on last week.
The cattle yarding of about 320 head sold well, particularly 18-month steers and 2½-year angus steers.

PRICES

CATTLE

Cows: B and R Ratahi, Ridgemount, five here-fries, rwb, av weight, 487kg, 205c/kg, $1000/head; Woodstock Farm, Takapau, 10 2½yr crossbred, vic, av weight, 422kg, 236c/kg, $1000/head.

Steers: 2½yr, Colbrae Ltd, Ashley Clinton, 13 ang, av weight, 507kg, 305c/kg, $1550/head; 21 the same, av weight, 480kg, 319c/kg, $1535/head; 15 the same, av weight, 439kg, 321c/kg, $1415/head; four sth dev-cross, av weight, 392kg, 280c/kg, $1100/head; Fruitstock, Raukawa, 15 here-fries, av weight, 555kg, 272c/kg, $1510/head. 18mth, R Lanauze, Chatham Island, 18 here, av weight, 366kg, 342c/kg, $1255/head; five here-cross, av weight, 320kg, 287c/kg, $920/head; Ohinemana Farm, Chatham Island, 12 here, av weight, 237kg, 362c/kg, $860/head; Woodstock Farm, Takapau, eight dairy-cross, av weight, 391kg, 229c/kg, $900/head; A Olsen, Glengarry, four simm-cross, av weight, 461kg, 305c/kg, $1410/head; Taimaha Holdings, Te Onepu, 11 15mth ang, av weight, 407kg, 345c/kg, $1410/head; five the same, av weight, 395kg, 340c/kg, $1345/head.

Bulls: 2½yr, Kiwitahi, Mahanga, 21 fries, av weight, 545kg, 291c/kg, $1590/head. 18mth, R and M Shaw, Mangatahi, 21 fries, av weight, 442kg, 283c/kg, $1255/head; 10 the same, av weight, 417kg, 280c/kg, $1170/head. Yrling Woodstock Farm, Takapau, 15 fries-cross, av weight, 190kg, 273c/kg, $520/head. Wnr, G Walker Family Trust, Otane, 10 ang-cross, av weight, 126kg, 340c/kg, $430/head.

Heifers: Woodstock Farm, Takapau, 12 2½yr fries, av weight, 386kg, 239c/kg, $925/head. 18mnth, 19 here-cross, av weight, 421kg, 287c/kg, $1210/head; Ohinemana Farm, Chatham Island, 16 here-cross, av weight, 237kg, 312c/kg, $740/head; T Atkins, Te Aute, seven dairy-cross, av weight, 298kg, 204c/kg, $610/head; R Lanauze, Chatham Island, 12 here-cross, av weight, 251kg, 325c/kg, $820/head; six the same, av weight, 325kg, 297c/kg, $970/head; Taimaha Holdings, Te Onepu, 15 15mnth ang, av weight, 380kg, 308c/kg, $1175/head.

SHEEP

Ewes: Kohunui P/ship, Omakere, 41 m/a, $150; Newstead Farm, Rissington, 12 m/a, $116; 19 m/a, $97; 19 m/a, $87.

Lambs: Kaiwaka vendor, 57 ewe b/f, $91.50; 28 ram b/f, $94; 33 m/s b/f, $75; Erepiti P/ship, Ruakituri Valley, 92 weth, $108; 128 male, $83; 69 ewe, $87.50; 56 male, $74; Awa Awanui, Flag Range Rd, 77 m/s, $97.50; 55 m/s, $79; 22 m/s, $87.50; Melness Farm, Waitahora, 152 male, $94; 90 m/s b/f, $89.50; 114 ewe, $86; Camot Farming, Porangahau, 45 male, $96; 55 ewe, $74.50; 47 ewe, $66.50; 29 ram, $84.50; 21 ewe, $49; Newstead Farm, Rissington, 45 ewe b/f, $93.50; 28 male b/f, $109.50; C Chambers, Tutira, 25 m/s, $86; 22 m/s, $50.

Fairs fetch higher prices

January is traditionally a quiet month at Stortford Lodge and last month was no different.
Ewe fairs are the feature of the month and this year's were notable for higher prices than last year, especially for young sheep from regular vendors who aim their ewes for the fairs every year.

The feature of the first combined fair was the quality of the offering and this was reflected in a top price $75 up on last year.

Despite the quality being back a little in the second ewe fair, everything was sold to be farmed on as high cull ewe prices encourage breeders to freshen their mobs.

PGG Wrightson livestock manager Neil Common said the fairs were "two solid sales".
In the general prime and store sales smaller yardings had no effect on prices which remained strong, especially for cull ewes.

Prime and store lambs remained in short supply, something Mr Common put down to plenty of rain and grass in the farms nearer the mountains so lambs were being held longer to grow. Perhaps the constant heat and humidity of January made farmers reluctant to work stock more than was essential.

Prime cattle were in especially short supply with two sales out of four having no cattle on offer at all.

The last sale of the month had a good yarding and again prices held up.

Store cattle were also low in numbers. Again farmers had enough grass to feed them so were keeping them.

Widespread heavy rain over the Christmas-New Year period in the Manawatu- Rangitikei regions and Wairarapa put paid to drought fears there and an expected influx of stock from there to Hawke's Bay for sale will not now happen. The west coast of the North Island is a traditional destination for Hawke's Bay stock in summer.

Mr Common said farmers were still feeling optimistic because "it's rained" and there was plenty of feed.

There has been "some great money" made on lambs and cull ewes and the outlook for beef was very positive.

"The markets are still looking good."