Cattle prices seemed to level this July.
The strong tone continued at yesterday's store sale at Stortford Lodge.
Most of the cattle offering of about 600 head were yearling steers and heifers and the best of them made top money.
In the sheep pens good shorn lambs sold well but some pens of woolly lambs were harder to sell.
Te Tiki Station, Wairoa, sold 484 in-lamb ewes. The best of them, scanned at 178 percent, made $140.
Buyers for the cattle and about 2500 sheep were from Hawke's Bay, Gisborne, Waikato, Feilding and Christchurch.
PRICES
CATTLE
Steers: 2yr, Sorensen P/ship, Mangatahi, 15 ang-here, av weight, 593kg, 300c/kg, $1780/head; L and D Hall, Gisborne, 20 charo-cross, av weight, 460kg, 311c/kg, $1430/head; 13 ang, av weight, 450kg, 313c/kg, $1170/head; Coastal Polo, Porangahau, five ang-cross, av weight, 540kg, 290c/kg, $1570/head; Watts and Son, Tutira, six ang-cross, av weight 399kg, 245c/kg, $980/head. Yrling, Waireka Farm, Porangahau, five charo-cross, av weight, 296kg, 344c/kg, $1020/head; A and M Tweedie, Tutira, 26 simm-cross, av weight, 345kg, 372c/kg, $1285/head; 18 ang and ang-cross, av weight, 314kg, 372c/kg, $1170/head; Waipunga Ltd, Kaiwaka, 30 ang and ang-here, av weight, 288kg, 379c/kg, $1095/head; C Jacobs, Lake Rd, Wairoa, 16 ang-here, av weight, 329kg, 349c/kg, $1150/head; seven here-cross, av weight, 332kg, 334c/kg, $1110/head; Glenview Farming, Aropaoanui, 26 ang, av weight, 288kg, 364c/kg, $1050/head; 16 ang and ang-here, av weight, 253kgm 394c/kg, $1000/head; L and D Hall, Gisborne, 22 charo-cross, av weight, 283kg, 370c/kg, $1050/head; Trojan Horse Trust, Taihape Rd, eight fries, av weight, 169kg, 301c/kg, $510/head.
Bulls: Five Freedoms Farm, Putere, six 2yr here, av weight, 595kg, 285c/kg, $1700/head. Yrling, A Hall, Dannevirke, seven yrling fries, av weight, 201kg, 348c/kg, $702/head.
Heifers: 2yr, S and R Martin, Tutira, 22 ang, av weight, 329kg, 316c/kg, $1040/head; 13 the same, av weight, 313kg, 304c/kg, $955/head; 10 the same, av weight, 357kg, 312c/kg, $1115/head; 13 the same, av weight, 305kg, 310c/kg, $950/head; Taratahi Hawke's Bay, Puketitiri, 25 ang and ang-here, av weight, 456kg, 293c/kg, $1340/head; B Morunga, Wairoa, 24 here-fries, av weight, 394kg, 287c/kg, $1135/head; seven here-cross, av weight, 408kg, 274c/kg, $1120/head; Coastal Polo, Porangahau, five ang and ang-cross, av weight, 491kg, 283c/kg, $1390/head. Yrling, A and M Tweedie, Tutira, 21 simm-cross, av weight, 330kg, 325c/kg, $1075/head; 24 ang-here, av weight, 309kg, 339c/kg, $1050/head; A J Arnold and Co, Kaiwaka, 25 charo-cross, av weight, 262kg, 374c/kg, $980/head; 17 ang, av weight, 228kg, 386c/kg, $880/head; 22 the same, av weight, 253kg, 364c/kg, $925/head; C Jacobs, Lake Rd, Wairoa, 10 ang-here, av weight, 305kg, 334c/kg, $1020/head; 17 here-fries, av weight, 269kg, 339c/kg, $915/head; 11 here-cross, av weight, 290kg, 341c/kg, $990/head; five the same, av weight, 281kg, 277c/kg, 778/head; eight ang-here, av weight, 253kg, 315c/kg, $800/head; J Powdrell, Wairoa, 13 charo-cross, av weight, 265kg, 345c/kg, $915/head; 11 ang-here, av weight, 270kg, 350c/kg, $950/head; eight ang, av weight, 238kg, 369c/kg, $880/head; Toronui Station P/ship, Kairakau, eight ang-here, av weight, 231kg, 375c/kg, $870/head; G Buckley, Takapau, seven ang, av weight, 268kg, 320c/kg, $860/head; Waireka Farm, Porangahau, 10 ang, av weight, 268kg, 329c/kg, $885/head.
SHEEP
Ewes: (All SIL) Te Tiki Station, Wairoa, 293 5yr, 178%, $140; 135 5yr, 176%, $131; Rangiora Farming Trust, Tutira, 38 m/a, 150%, $81.
Ewes with lambs at foot: B and J P/ship, Hastings, 35 ewes, 38 lambs, $70.
Lambs: Spithill Family Trust, Napier, 132 ewe, $116; B and E Tuanui, Whakapirau Rd, 154 c/o, $141; Waikareao, Te Hauke, 154 male, $138; 261 male, $132; 155 male, $130; 231 male, $125; Smedley Station, Tikokino, 115 ewe, $118.50; 114 male, $127.50; 92 ewe, $114.50; 48 b/f ewe, $120; Tukuwaru, Tamumu, 175 male, $127; 86 male, $116; 163 male, $134.50; 52 male, $143.20; 54 male, $96; Golfstream Farm, Ongaonga, 60 b/f male, $130; Hikurangi Orchard, Mangateretere, 103 ewe, $114; I and P Reube, Te Awa Rd, 70 c/o, $117; 33 b/f m/s, $113; Rachan Farm, Salisbury Rd, 127 male, $126.50; E Volman, Roys Hill, 120 male, $116.50; 40 male, $105.50; Whareroa Station, Turangi, 127 male, $120; 57 male, $116; M Pedlow, Korokipo, 78 ewe, $114.50; 37 ewe, $101.50; Tahu P/ship, Porangahau, 116 ewe, $114; 47 ewe, $106; Motere Station, Omakere, 76 m/s, $118; T Anderson, Maraetotara, 37 ewe, $108.50; 162 ewe, $92.50.
Prime sale
A yarding of about 900 lambs was the star of the show at Monday's prime sale.
The yarding was mostly of high quality and buyers with contracts to fill bid strongly for them.
A small yarding of ewes also sold well.
In the cattle sale two pens of heavy oxen sold well. The rest of the yarding of 33 head was mostly angus-friesian cross heifers.
PRICES
CATTLE
Oxen: (Shthrn-cross, ang) Av weight, 662kg, 669kg, 299c/kg, 300c/kg, $1979/head, $2097/head.
Heifers: (Ang-cross) Av weight, 452kg to 582kg, 285c/kg to 287c/kg, $1244/head to $1413/head.
SHEEP
Ewes: Shorn, good, $121; lighter, $110. Slipe, good, $133; med, $114.40 to $120; 2th, $017, $126. Woolly, good, $126 to $137.50.
Lambs: Male, $131.50 to $174; b/f, $133, $166. Ewe, $126 to $154; b/f, $159. M/s, $81.50 to $124.50; b/f, $137.50, $176.50.
July in Review - Stortford Lodge
July at Stortford Lodge continued the strong and rising trends of June.
Cattle prices perhaps levelled but lambs, prime and store, continued to rise as did the best of the scanned-in-lamb ewes.
It was noticeable that the demand for in-lamb ewes was strongest for those with an early ram date and high scanning percentage. The best of the ewes, a capital stock line, made around the $160 mark.
Store lamb prices took a brief breather before continuing to rise.
PGG Wrightson agent and auctioneer Neil Common said there were still good numbers of stock coming into the yards, which was unexpected.
"I'm not really sure why. Perhaps it's the high prices attracting them in. However, despite the high prices contract finishers were still expecting a good margin on their lambs.
"Everyone seems happy, vendors and buyers."
At this time of the year stock coming into the saleyards is generally shorn but a combination of continued wet weather and dismal wool prices has meant many of the lambs particularly are still woolly. Shorn lambs attracted a premium.
Prime ewe prices continued to rise as the supply fell. The best heavy ewes made up to $145.
Most scanned-dry ewes have gone and the next source of supply will be lost-lambers.
In the cattle pens the good news continued for quality animals. Good supplies of stock were coming through.
Mr Common said the beef schedule eased but overall the outlook for beef was positive.
He said the stud bull selling season was just over and breeders reported excellent clearances and higher average prices.
"I expect to see increased interest in traditional-breed heifers to be bought for breeding."
Mr Common said farmers were feeling generally positive.
"Although they are sick of mud and rain they are glad of the moisture in the ground because it will mean a good spring.
"The grass hasn't really stopped growing and stock is generally in very good order."
Lambing and calving are generally going well with no cold southerly or wet nor-easterly storms, as has happened in the past two years.
Fine dining restaurant is a nod to gold mining history and Chinese immigrants of the area.