Stortford Lodge: Drought blamed for sluggish store cattle market

Photo / File

A lack of buyer confidence after the drought is being blamed for a sluggish store cattle market.

Yearling steers and bulls sold to good demand, as did the better two-year steers.

However, other classes or lighter stock were harder to sell.

One buyer said farmers were lacking confidence in grass growth after this year's drought which meant many of them sold stock cheaply and were having to replace it with dearer stock they might not be able to finish if it did not rain.

The sheep yarding was mostly new-season lambs, most of which were of outstanding quality. They also sold well.

Many of the hoggets with lambs' teeth came from the Chatham Islands and sold well.

There were about 750 cattle and 5300 sheep sold to buyers from Hawke's Bay, Taupo and Manawatu.

Prices

Cattle

Steers, 2yr: Puke Farm, Crownthorpe, 24 ang, av weight, 533kg, 321c/kg, $1712/head; H and S Galvin, Wairoa, 18 ang-here, av weight, 464kg, 307c/kg, $1425/head; 15 ang, av weight, 427kg, 308c/kg, $1320/head; Awa Awanui Farming, Flag Range Rd, 15 sth dev-cross, av weight, 524kg, 303c/kg, $1590/head; R and S Clayton, Middleton Rd, 19 here-cross, av weight, 423kg, 304c/kg, $1290/head; Topaki Farming, Tikokino, 38 here-fries, av weight, 481kg, 282c/kg, $1360/head; Kaweka Farm, Hastings, six fries, av weight, 410kg, 256c/kg, $1055/head; Glenlands Farm, Eskdale, 16 here-fries, av weight, 336kg, 273c/kg, $920/head; 10 ang-cross, av weight, 373kg, 261c/kg, $975/head. Yrling, Monarae Station, Putere, 33 ang, av weight, 389kg, 289c/kg, $1275/head; 29 ang, av weight, 353kg, 328c/kg, $1160/head; 16 ang-here, av weight, 389kg, 313c/kg, $1220/head; Maunganui Station, Te Pohue, 35 ang, av weight, 311kg, 326c/kg, $1015/head; Mahanga Station, Wairoa, 39 ang, av weight, 368kg, 318c/kg, $1175/head; Riverbank Station, Rissington, 29 ang, av weight, 318kg, 328c/kg, $1045/head; Waituku Holdings, Whakaki, 23 ang and ang-here, av weight, 307kg, 305c/kg, $940/head; 10 charo-cross, av weight, 315kg, 317c/kg, $1000/head; Lindholm, Patoka, eight ang, av weight, 279kg, 310c/kg, $855/head; Te Ngawa Farm, Blackhead, nine sth dev-cross, av weight, 310kg, $975/head; five ang-cross, av weight, 263kg, 330c/kg, $870/head; R Holmes, Chatham Island, 18 sth dev, av weight, 303kg, 326c/kg, $992/head; A and C Milligan, Pakipaki, 10 here-fries, av weight, 234kg, 331c/kg, $775/head; six ang-cross, av weight, 222kg, 292c/kg, $650/head; Gibson Marsh P/ship, Ngatarawa Rd, six ang-here, av weight, 336kg, 306c/kg, $1030/head; Te Ngawa Farm, Blackhead, six ang, av weight, 263kg, 326c/kg, $860/head; A Barbour, Kaiapo Rd, five ang-cross, av weight, 234kg, 217c/kg, $510/head; L Keil, Mahia, five fries-cross, av weight, 264kg, 215c/kg, $570/head; G and P Bayley P/ship, Waipawa, nine here-fries, av weight, 440kg, 289c/kg, $1275/head; Topaki Farming, Tikokino, five here-fries, av weight, 390kg, 271c/kg, $1060/head.

Bulls: 2yr, J Gilmore, Sherenden, 17 fries, av weight, 475kg 281c/kg, $1340/head. Yrling, Hebron Farm, Wairoa, 25 simm-cross, av weight, 311kg, 319c/kg, $995/head; B and J Oliver, Pakowhai, nine fries-cross, av weight, 218kg, 278c/kg, $610/head; eight fries-cross, av weight, 197kg, 263c/kg, $520/head; H and S Galvin, Wairoa, 15 ang, av weight, 351kg, 298c/kg, $1050/head; seven ang, av weight, 300kg, 285c/kg, $855/head; Springhill Dairies, Wakarara, 11 fries-cross, av weight, 200kg, 296c/kg, $595/head; 12 fries, av weight, 181kg, 299c/kg, $545/head; Lee Family Trust, Havelock North, five here-fries, av weight, 301kg, 305c/kg, $920/head; Kopanga Station, Havelock North, five ang, av weight, 256kg, 296c/kg, $760/head.

Heifers: Yrling. Hinerua Station, Wakarara, 41 charo-cross, av weight, 294kg, 323c/kg, $950/head; Waituku Holdings, Whakaki, 16 ang and ang-here, av weight, 262kg, 270c/kg, $710/head; 10 charo-cross, av weight, 261kg, 298c/kg, $780/head; Kintail, Putorino, 15 ang, av weight, 206c/kg, 309c/kg, $640/head; Topaki Farming, Tikokino, 17 here-fries, av weight, 276kg, 256c/kg, $710/head; five crossbred, av weight, 305kg, 250c/kg, $765/head; nine ang, av weight, 320kg, 270c/kg, $865/head; Stonehenge Trust, Whakapirau, eight ang-cross, av weight, 256kg, 230c/kg, $590/head; 13 ang-cross, av weight, 203kg, 295c/kg, $600/head; R Holmes, Chatham Island, 10 sth dev, av weight, 275kg, 301c/kg, $830/head; W Ashby, Waipukurau, eight here-fries, av weight, 174kg 345c/kg, $602/head; Rereti Trust, Chatham Island, seven sth dev-cross, av weight, 211kg, 227c/kg, $480/head; 11 sth dev-cross, av weight, 135kg, 229c/kg, $310/head.

Sheep

Ewes, lambs at foot: Seven Oaks, Rissington, 56 ewes, 76 lambs, $93 all counted; 61 ewes, 60 lambs, $89.

Hoggets, lambs' teeth: B and E Tuanui, Whakapirau, 169 c/o, $144; Te Matarae, Chatham Island, 181 weth, $158; 149 weth, $140.50; 89 m/s, $127.50; N Baird, Waihau, 40 m/s, $135.50; Maungataniwha Station, Putere, 39 m/s, $131; 40 m/s, $122; 11 m/s, $70; B Dawson, Patoka, 16 b/f ewe, $172; Kairongoa, Elsthorpe, 33 m/s, $120. New season: Sunvalley Station, Puketapu, 429 m/s, $144; 380 m/s, $120; Mt Erin Station, Middle Rd, 225 m/s, $119; 222 m/s, $101; 119 ram, $109; Lagoon Farm, Ahuriri, 126 m/s, $116; 249 m/s, $100.50; 160 m/s, $94; 96 m/s, $91; 56 m/s, $80; Papakihau Station, Porangahau, 332 m/s, $105; 343 m/s b/f, $89.50; 106 ms/ b/f, $130; 175 m/s b/f, $126.50; 226 m/s b/f, $70; W4 Farming, Maraekakaho, 173 m/s, $106; 113 m/s, $96; Te Hiwi Station, Pourerere, 97 m/s, $101; Maaka Farm, Maraetotara, 53 m/s, $127; 62 m/s, $106.

Prime sale

Good lambs continued to be in demand at Monday's sale.

The tops of the yarding of about 550 lambs sold up to $193 for a pen of well-grown ex-stud sufftex ram lambs.

The ewes sold on a par although the quality overall was up on previous sales.

A feature of the cattle sale was an 1190kg shorthorn bull, considerably heavier than the All Blacks scrum.

He was one of 23 head on offer.

Prices

Cattle

Cows: (Here-fries) Av weight, 611kg, 201c/kg, $1228/head.

Heifers: (Ang, sth dev, here-fries) Av weight, 445kg to 615kg, 213c/kg to 281c/kg, $947/head to $1728/head.

Oxen: (Ang) Av weight, 580kg to 618kg, 282c/kg, 298c/kg, $1638/head, $1843/head.

Bulls: (Here, sthrn) Weight, 860kg, 1190kg, 236c/kg, 100c/kg, $2028/head, $1190/head.

Sheep

Ewes: Slipe, good, $175, $189; med, $140.50 to $150; light, $134. Woolly, med, $150 to $169; light, $117.50 to $144. Shorn, good, $151.50; med, $151.50.

Lambs: New Season, m/s, $128, $156.50. Hoggets, lamb's teeth, male, $115 to $184; b/f, $193; ewe, $120 to $178; b/f, $136.50 to $179.50; m/s, $120 to $187; b/f, $159.50.