NOTES FROM THE CITY.

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2062, 1 May 1913, Page 4

NOTES FROM THE CITY.

Dairy Produce. —The local butter market is quiet so far as tho South Island is concerned. In the North, however, there is some apprehension as to the quantity available for wintor supplies. Dry weather in tho North, too, is to some extent restricting supplies. Tho London market not being "too bright, stocks have been allowed to accumulate, so that by the middle of the month there were 7000 boxes in store in excess ot tho quantity in store at the corresponding period of last year. A large proportion of this butter, however, lias been sold to Vancouver and Africa. "With regard to the latter market, business has been sought to be done on a basis of 13|d c.i.f. Durban, but without result. It is evident that supplies are being taken from Australia, for xlistrict butter (on April 18) was available t-t 1.1 d, and choice Victorian at 10-jd to 10id. Tho bulk of the Stratford factory's butter, it is understood, was ■sold for the March output at 12.\d. All April has been sold at 12-id, and a largo Auckland firm purchased heavily of this butter for May delivery at 12-Jd, less '2i per cent, it is estimated that May butter will bo worth at least 12-id. at the factory. Some uneasiness exists in the minds of shippers to Africa on account of the rise of freights which is expected to be made shortly on the AustralianCape homeward run. A fair parcel of Wellington butter was sold to Canada last week at 12-id f.o.b. Weddel's report gives the following importations of colonial butter for the year ended February 28: — Cwts. Victorian 237,789 New South Wales .. 151,664 South Australia .. 7,165 Queonsland 98,610 New Zealand .... 323,562 Canada 2 Total 818,927 This is 381,770 cwts. short of the previous year. Cheese from British Dominions for tho same period also shows a shrinkage. Tho position is as follows: —■ Cwts. Australia 9 ISew Zealand .... 559,257 Canada, .. ... .. 1,332,364 Total . . ~. . . 1,891,6:30

TJu'.s is 22,485 cwts. short of hist year's imports of cheese from British sources, of suppiy. The following are comparative London xnices for ••finest" cheese on March V, as reported by The Grocer :r— cwt. cwt. 8. S. English Cheddar .... 74 78 Cheshire 82 86 Cheddar Loaf 74 76 Derby 78 80 Edam (Dutch) 68 70 Gonda (Dutch) .... 68 70 Canadian 64 — Now Zealand 60 62 The cheese salvaged from the Turakina, on lire at Rio, amounted to 3000 crates. This, was all the dairy produce recovered from tho cargo. When the mail left London 1431 crates of Queensland cheese in 70----pound cheese, two to a crate, were expected to arrive and to meet with good demand, a,s prices were expected to bo--slightly lower than New Zealand rates then ruling. Meat.—Shipments of mutton and lamb for March were extremely light, and as a result there was a high "spot" market ruling at the time. It is expected that values will be well upheld until the April shipments, which are very heavy, reach Homo. These are expected to total, before the month is out, some 7000 carcases of lamb alone for April. The total shipments last April were 357,000. Offers are not freely coming to hand, but probably 10,000 carcases of lamb could be obtained at ojd c.i.f. North Island ewes have been sold' this week at 3 11-16 d c.i.f. Wethers are weaker at 4d for North Island and 4jd for Canterbury's, but thero is an absence of buyers at these figures.—Post.