THE REDUCED LIMITS

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 261, 6 December 1930, Page 3

THE REDUCED LIMITS

FOR FAT LAMB FOR EXPORT. CAUSE CONCERN THROUGHOUT DOMINION. The announcement of tlie reduction of huvers' lmiits for fat lamb for export, which caused so much concern 111 Hawke's Bay, has had a. similar effect iu other parts of the Dominion. The announcement from Auckland 011 Monday that the prices offermg for lamb for export 111 December had been reduced fioni 7-Jd to (»d a 1b. is described by a southern writer as cne of the worst and most uuexpccted setb.ichs the farmer ha-, heen couiH.iited with this season. "With wool and dairy produce down to disastrous levels the hope was strong that lamb prices would help to olfscl tlie othenvise general collapse. A 7jd schedule in Auckland suggested ;m :-*d one here, or, in efi'ei-t. 24s tor a 3fa]b. lamb. This, though well hel-nv '.he scale of recent years, was sonie sort 4 a haven, but the 7£d dochiie m : he north would aulonmtically hrmg souihern lamh to (>.%! , or 19s (kl for the best grade, a droji of -Is (ul per hc.nl,'" ccmments a Canterhury writer. "It is as well to reincmher that tlie Ncith Islaud November sche lule was lor what is kuown as Christiuas sroplncnt, and its retention for 111.1:11 si) ptuents was iinprohahle. A warmng was issued some time ago to buyers of s'.uiv lambs in ihe south that they shouU nct base values for forward buying ou the uorthern schedule, and it would appear troin developinents that the warnmg could have heen stressed much more vigorouslv. However, it is improbable tliat much lamb will he read.v in Canterhury for the works in December. The season has heen too backward, and ajiart from this fact the reduction in values is not likely to encourage offerings.' The following table shows how average lamb prices have dropped in the last two years. The figures cover the range for each month of 1928-29 and 1929-30 for 3(ilb. and under lambs: —

Tbo table shows the fluctuations of the market last year in comparison with 1928-29, and also the very pronounced drop. In the two years, from 1929 to 1930, it would appear as if export value will suffer a decline round about 50 per cent., providing, of course, tliere h not a revival later on.

1928-29. 1929-30. d. d. d. d. Dec. (1928) ... — to 10$ — to 83 January ... — to 10$ 8$ to 8-4 Fehruaxy ... 10?,- to 9J — to 8$ March ... 9f to 9' 8$ to 7 3 Api-il* ... 9$ to 9| 7$ to 7j May ... 9| to 10 — to 7 Juixe ... 10 to 10-3 7 to 7}