Stortford Lodge: Demand for store lambs remains strong

Lamb prices remained strong at Stortford Lodge.

The fall in lamb prices on Monday did not seep through to the store lamb market at yesterday's Stortford Lodge sale. Prices for the yarding, reduced by the heavy rain, remained strong.

A yarding of more than 300 in-lamb ewes from Landcorp's Opuahi Station at Tutira sold for more than $200. Both pens scanned at 203per cent lambing.

A feature of the sale was the number of Chatham Island lambs on offer.

A similarly reduced cattle yarding sold well enough although bulls proved hard to quit with at least two pens being passed in.

Buyers for the about 150 cattle and 2600 sheep were from Hawke's Bay.

PRICES

CATTLE

Cows: (Vic) Rocky Basin, Kaiwaka, 12 m/a ang, vic, av weight, 541kg, 221c/kg, $1200/head; eight the same, av weight, 474kg, 232c/kg, $1100/head.

Steers: L Nicholls, Meeanee, five 3yr ang-cross, av weight, 492kg, 265c/kg, $1305/head. Yrling, G and J Sherratt, Argyll, nine here-fries, av weight, 231kg, 390c/kg, $905/head; T Croon, Chatham Island, eight ang, av weight, 323kg, 388c/kg, $900/head; four the same, av weight, 398kg, 298c/kg, $1190/head; Rakautahi P/ship, Chatham Island, 10 here-cross, av weight, 246kg, 382c/kg, $940/head.

Bulls: Trelinnoe Station, Te Pohue, five 2yr sth dev, av weight, 366kg, 248c/kg, $910/head. Yrling, Wedd Farming, Puketitiri, 24 fries, av weight, 233kg, 332c/kg, $775/head; T Jenkinson, Tutira, seven fries, av weight, 160kg, 311c/kg, $500/head; five ang-cross, av weight, 221kg, 268c/kg, $595/head; six fries-cross, av weight, 186kg, 219c/kg, $410/head.

Heifers: R Redwood, Lindsay Rd, six 2yr ang, av weight, 436kg, 280c/kg, $1225/head. Yrling, T Croon, Chatham Island, eight ang, av weight, 240kg, 307c/kg, $740/head; eight the same, av weight, 195kg, 312c/kg, $610/head; J Lane, Twyford, five here-cross, av weight, 120kg, 416c/kg, $500/head.

SHEEP

Ewes: (Sil), Opuahi Station, Tutira, 207 3/4yr, $215; 107 3/4yr, $209.
Lambs: Waikareo Station, Te Aute, 100 male, $177; 91 male, $166.50; 222 ewe, $150; 154 ewe, $147.50; 42 male, $145.50; Maunganui Station, Te Pohue, 129 ewe, $160; R and J Holmes, Chatham Island, 129 wether, $190; D R Heays Ltd, Kaiwaka, 138 ewe, $163; 215 ewe, $148; 69 ewe, $78; G and E Cameron, Chatham Island, 138 m/s, $176; 99 m/s, $150; G and E Cameron Te Ngaio P/ship, Chatham Island, 95 m/s, $135; Ohinemana Farm, Chatham Island, 135 m/a, $158; G and R Horler,
Chatham Island, 136 m/s, $154; Te Ngaio Farm, Chatham Island, 84 m/s, $145; S Norman, Chatham Island, 59 ewe, $169; Kaiara Enterprises, Chatham Island, 49 wether, $152.50; P and E Seymour, Chatham Island, 58 m/s, $137; Pukenui Station, Makaretu, 49 ewe, $143.

Prime sale

Ewe and lamb prices received a reality check at Monday's sale.

After several weeks of steadily rising prices auctioneers had their work cut out for them selling a yarding of about 4000 lambs.

Agents said the big supply and some price resistance saw prices ease to more realistic levels.

Ewe prices also fell but the quality was down on the last few weeks.

The small cattle yarding of 21 head also sold according to quality.

PRICES

CATTLE

Oxen: (Ang), Av weight, 468kg, 296c/kg, $1385/head.
Heifers: (Here-fries, simm-cross) Av weight, Av weight, 450kg to 560kg, 290c/kg to 298c/kg, $1305/head to $1668/head.

SHEEP

Ewes: Slipe, good, $170 to $176; med, $139 to $145; light, $90 to $121. Woolly, med, $120 to $139; light, $115.50; shorn, good, $183.50; med, $139.
Lambs: Male, $165 to $218; b/f, $185.50. Ewe, $161.50 to $198. M/s, $170.50 to $215.