Stortford Lodge Stock Sale: Store lamb prices fall sharply

File Photo / Jason Oxenham

The demand for grass has run up against the supply of rain to produce a sharp drop in the price of store lambs at Stortford Lodge yesterday.

A big yarding of about 5000 mostly good quality lambs were hard work for auctioneers as prices dropped further to be at least $30 or $40 back on four or five weeks ago.

A feature of the lamb sale was the 1400 lambs from a Pongaroa vendor running short of grass.

Agents said Hawke's Bay lambs were often bought by buyers from the Manawatu -Rangitikei area but they were now even drier than Hawke's Bay.

Cattle prices are holding up better and the yarding of more than 600 head mostly sold well. However, a couple of pens of good steers were passed in and one pen attracted no bids at all.

Buyers were from Hawke's Bay, with support from Feilding, Pongaroa and Timaru.

PRICES

CATTLE

Cows with calves at foot: Okaharau Farm, Elsthorpe, 19 4yr sth dev with 19 calves, (cap stock) av weight, 783kg, 256c/kg, $2010/head; Marainarangi Station, Akitio, 21 2yr ang heifers with 19 calves, av weight, 472kg, 379c/kg, $1790/head.

Steers: 2yr, J Emmerson, Pakipaki, 23 ang, av weight, 578kg, 285c/kg, $1650/head; Hobson Farming, Ngawaka, 26 ang, av weight, 486kg, 285c/kg, $1390/head; 10 the same, av weight, 444kg, 282c/kg, $1255/head; 17 charo-cross, av weight, 532kg, 283c/kg, $1510/head; Mahurangi Station, Wairoa, 10 ang-here, av weight, 532kg, 278c/kg, $1482/head; 11 ang-here, av weight, 500kg, 285c/kg, $1430/head; Okaharau Farm, Elsthorpe, 17 sth dev-cross, av weight, 543kg, 274c/kg, $1490/head; Pukenoa Farm, Puketapu, 27 ang, av weight, 415kg, 295c/kg, $1225/head; Strathclyde, Waimarama, eight ang-here, av weight, 445kg, 280c/kg, $1254/head. Yrling, Emerald Hill, Waihau, 45 ang, av weight, 423kg, 292c/kg, $1240/head; Mangatapiri Station, Elsthorpe, 34 ang, av weight, 367kg, 299c/kg, $1100/head; Williams Hill, Puketitiri, 18 ang, av weight, 383kg, 302c/kg, $1160/head; Pukenoa Farm, Puketapu, 17 ang, av weight, 347kg, 301c/kg, $1050/head; Summit Farm, Ongaonga,, 26 ang and ang-here, av weight, 311kg, 312c/kg, $970/head; seven ang, av weight, 290kg, 309c/kg, $900/head; Glendale Station, Arapaoanui, 11 ang, av weight, 303kg, 320c/kg, $972/head; 20 the same, av weight, 255kg, 357c/kg, $912/head. Wnr, Hohepa Farm, Clive, seven dairy-cross, av eight, 134kg, 379c/kg, $510/head; IHC, three ang-cross, av eight, 135kg, 251c/kg, $340/head.

Bulls: 2yr, R Thompson, Nuhaka, 22 ang, av weight, 477kg, 283c/kg, $1355/head; 31 charo-cross, av weight, 451kg, 304c/kg, $1370/head; 17 ang-here, av weight, 456kg, 295c/kg, $1345/head; eight ang, av weight, 451kg, 284c/kg, $1280/head; Barnsdale Dairies, Makaretu, four here, av weight, 586kg, 277c/kg, $1625/head. Yrling, Awahuri Pastoral, Ohiti, 29 fries, av weight, 385kg, 256c/kg, $990/head; P Meredith, Ongaonga, 25 fries, av weight, 407kg, 243c/kg, $990/head. Wnr, IHC, five fries, av weight, 102kg, 245c/kg, $250/head.

Heifers: Pukenoa Farm, Puketapu, 25 ang-here, av weight, 448kg, 267c/kg, $1200/head; 24 ang, av weight, 390kg, 278c/kg, $1085/head; 10 here-cross, av weight, 433kg, 264c/kg, $1145/head; five ang, av weight, 317kg, 287c/kg, $910/head; P Frewin, Whakapirau, 10 here-fries, av eight, 530kg, 264c/kg, $1400/head. Yrling, Okaharau Farm, Elsthorpe, 19 sth dev, av weight, 400kg, 277c/kg, $1110/head; 15 the same, av weight, 375kg, 286c/kg, $1075/head; Summit Farm, Ongaonga, 13 ang, av weight, 320kg, 305c/kg, $980/head; Morunga P/ship, Wairoa, 20 here-fries, av weight, 308kg, 289c/kg, $890/head; Tennent Farming, Mangahei, eight ang, av weight, 317kg, 282c/kg, $8985/head; 10 here, av weight, 306kg, 308c/kg, $945/head; five ang-here, av weight, 298kg, 302c/kg, $900/head; G Marsh, Crownthorpe, eight here-fries, av weight, 305kg, 288c/kg, $880/head; P and V Hurlstone, Apley Rd, five ang, av weight, 294kg, 290c/kg, $855/head.

SHEEP

Ewes, lambs at foot: B and E Tuanui, Whakapirau, 27 ewes, 28 lambs, $53 all counted; B knight, Poukawa, 10 hggts, 10 lambs, $52.

Lambs: B and E Tuanui, Whakapirau, 15 male, l/t, $91. Spring, B Bowie, Pongaroa, 210 male, $85.70; 215 male, $71; 214 male, $59.50; 281 ewe, $63.50; 286 ewe, $50.50; 225 c/o, $47.50; 194 ewe, $41; Brancott Farm, Waiwhare, 401 weth, $85; 402 weth, $71.70; Mangatuara Station, Wakarara Rd, 214 m/s b/f, $85; 190 ram, $77; 358 m/s b/f, $66; 218 ewe(cap stock), $73; 140 ram, $64.60; 189 ewe, $60.80; 174 m/s, $50.50; Glendale Station, Arapaoanui, 178 male, $84; 250 male, $70; 65 weth, $64.50; Ardfert P/ship, Omakere, 202 c/o, $64.50; Tyrone Farm, Blackburn Ridge, 179 m/s b/f, $80; Tennent Farming, Mangahei, 207 m/s b/f, $76; 61 c/o, $65.50; Motonui Station, Elsthorpe, 164 m/s, $65; 86 m/s, $37; Glenview HB Ltd, Tangoio, 166 c/o, $72; Wallingford Station, Wallingford, 198 ewe, $61; 195 ewe, $52; 119 m/s b/f, $60.50; 161 m/s b/f, $55; C and J Lee, Kaiwaka, 141 c/o, $74.50; Sunnyside Station, Martinborough, 81 c/o, $70; 200 c/o, $57.50; 196 c/o, $51; Dermer P/ship, Takapau, 43 m/s, $79; Camot Farming, Te Uri, 94 ram, $82; 87 m/s $69.50; 184 ram, $70; 87 m/s, $56; N Symonds, Havelock North, 59 m/s b/f, $61.60.

Prime sale Ewe prices dropped again at Monday's prime sale as processing space tightened further and meat schedules dropped.

The best of the shorn ewes made $120.50, down as much as $35 on a month ago. Some pens were passed in when they failed to reach their reserve.

Lamb prices also eased on a small yarding of varying quality.

Prices for a yarding of 97 head of cattle were back on earlier weeks. A feature of the cattle offering was the big weights of many of them. One pen of south devon cows weighed in at 737kg, another at 733kg while a pen of hereford oxen tipped the scales at 800kg.

PRICES

CATTLE

Cows: (Ang, sth dev, here-fries, jersey) Av weight, 570kg to 737kg, 175c/kg to 205c/kg, $997/head to $1506/head.

Heifers: (Ang, here-fries)A v weight, 486kg to 660kg, 230c/kg to 256c/kg, $1235/head to $1518/head.

Oxen: (Ang-cross, here, ang) Av weight, 663kg to 800kg, 255c/kg to 310c/kg, $1784/head to $2252/head.

SHEEP

Ewes: Shorn, good, $117 to $120.50; med, $90 to $106; light, $69.50 to $85.50. Woolly, med, $95 med, $72, light, $67. Slipe, good, $100 to $112; med, $87 to $96; light, $80.

Lambs: Hoggets, l/t, male, $90, $116; m/s, $116. Spring, m/s, $112, 116.50; b/f, $85 to $121; male, $76 to $90; b/f, $155; ewe, $135.