COMMERCIAL NEWS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 125, 8 March 1930, Page 8

COMMERCIAL NEWS

GRAIN AND PRODUCE. CHRISTCHURCH MARKETS. (Special to the "Guardian.") CHRISTCHUIKH, This Day. Most of the offerings on the local market this week have been of wheat, Snd most other lines have been more or less neglected. -Merchants are disappointed with the general volume- of business. Plenty of. Tuscan.wheat:s offering, and it is being sold at os 8d to os 9d on trucks, and at a few pence a bushel less for qualities winch will not grade. There is more Hunters wheat about this season than there lias been for a good many years oast, and it is difficult to find buyers because of the large quantity offering —more than millers can take at present. Growers are asking bs lor it, hut buvers are offering os lUcl to os lid on'trucks. Growers of J earl are still asking 6s 3d, on trucks, but buyers' ideas of, values are a little less than this. ■ . , , Fowl wheat is still being quoted at os 9Vd to os lOd for prompt and torward delivery, f.0.h., sacks extra. The market for oats is a little weaker than it was. A Gartons are quoted to-day at 3s ll|d for Apr. -September, and B's at 3s S}d, same delivery Algerians and Duns are hard to seU owine to the importation into the ISortli Island of Australian and Tasmaman oats. To-day's quotations are: Algerians 3s to 3s 3d, Dims 4s 6d to 4s 9d Gartons 3s (kl to 3s Sd, on trucks. \s is nsnal at this time of year, tpcre is not much old chaff about. The valne to-day is £6 15s; a ton, f.o.h. Lvttelton, for April-May-Jime shipment, but buyers in Auckland have seemed supplies from. Tasmania on the basis of £5 os a ton, f.0.b.5.i., Devohport. Tin's chaff will be landed in Auckland at about £8 10s a ton. The freight on chaff from Lvttelton to Auckland is £2 5s a ton, and this and other charges brings the price of Canterbury chaff landed in Auckland up to £9 os a ton, as compared,with chaff from Tasmania at £8 10s a ton. The hulk of the barley crop is also •vrown under contract, hut there is some free barley, and the crops have done fairly well this year. The price of malting is 4s to 4s (3d. Cape is quoted at 3s to 3s 6d. on trucks. There is a good crop of onions, but tlie price is very discouraging—£3 5s to £3 10s a ton on trucks. The introduction of a higher tariff in America on imuorted onions has effectively prevented" any of the surplus from New Zealand" going to that country. The dutv on New Zealand onions imported into the United States is now £9 4s a ton. An effort is being made, however, to get some New Zealand onions into Canada. The shipment arranged for some time ago to go to Vancouver will he dispatched next month. . :

Grass seeds have not been offering in any quantity during the past few days and there is very little alteration in prices. If anything this market has a weakening tendency, and the lack of orders is tempting merchants to reduce their recent quotations in order to secure orders. The cocksfoot market is distinctly weaker* and merchants are finding it difficult to sell machinedressed seed, which is quoted to-day at 13d, and farmers' dressed lines proportionately lower. • . . There are still abundant supplies of potatoes in the Auckland province, according to a report from that centre. Pukekohe. growers are now having to compete with supplies from the Manawatu and Rangitikei districts. The North Island appears to be now growing more potatoes than it did formerly, but the North Island tuber is a bad keeper, and consequently, supplies for. the winter have to be drawn from the South Island; £4 Is 6d is to-day's quotation for April-May-June shipment. For further forward, the market is a little firmer, July's being quoted at £5 and Julv-August-Septem-ber's at £5 10s to £5 12s 6d a ton f.0.b., s.i. Tlie following are quotations for produce to be paid to farmers,- on trucks, free of commission, sacks extra, except where otherwise stated:—

Wheat.—New crop: 5s Scl to 5s 9d Tuscan, os lOd to os lid Hunters, Gs Id Pearl, on trucks, sacks extra. Fowl Wheat—Prompt, 5s 9id to 5s lOd, f.o.b, sacks Is 2d. Oats.—Cartons :3s 3d to 3s Bd, Duns 4s 6d to 4s 9d, Algerians 3s to 3s 3d. Chaff— £5 a ton. Barley.—Cape 3s to 3s 3d 5 maltmg, 4s to 4s 6d. Potatoes.—£3 os to £3 10s a ton. Red Clover.—ld to od lb. White Clover.—Bd to lOd lb. Perennial Ryegrass—os a bushel. Italian Ryegrass and Western Wolths. —Is 3d to 4s 6d a bushel. Cocksfoot Up to 8-Jd lor farmers dressed lines of Akaroa seed. Plains 6jd to 7kl. peas.—Nominally 4s to 4s 3d a bushel. Onions—£3 os to £3 10s a ton. Bran. £7 a ton, f.0.b.. southern ports, 10s extra for smaller packings. Pollard.—£B 10s a ton, f.0.b., southern, ports, 10s extra for smaller packings. Flour. —Local wholesale price £l6 5s a ton for 2001 b sacks, with the usual increments for smaller packings. Price for shipment, £l6 5s a ton, f.o.b.

OTAGO. DUNEDIN, March 7. Threshing of wheat is becoming general in most districts, and so far the quality of samples is good.. The yields, moreover, are up to the average, and they are expected to be maintained in. most districts with the exception of Taieri, where late-sown crops are backward. Millers are not very anxious to purchase lines on offer, preferring to take delivery of their forward commitments in the'meantime. It is only Tor lines of exceptional quality, prompt delivery, that buyers can be found. Prices to farmers may be given at 5s 9d, sacks extra, country sidings, for Tuscan, 5s lcl for Hunters, and 6s 2d for Velvet. These prices are equivalent to Pool rates.

The market continues short of supplies of fowl wheat, merchants being satisfied to work on hand-to-mouth basis. The cost to merchants is about 6s per bushel, sacks extra, ex truck. This can be stated as to-day's market value. The oat market shows a decided weakening, following on quotations being received from outside markets. Apparently the 'oat market is being affected by the overseas position in the same way as the wheat market. Forward sales were made at as high as 4s 1-J-d f.0.b., s.i., spread delivery, April" to September, but to-day's quotation is 4s. A Cartons have, moreover, been sold during the week at 3s lid f.0.b., s.i. The current quotation to farmers is 3s 6d, sacks extra, country sidings, for A's, and 2s j lid for P's. "There is, however, a fair

demand for 'Dun oats, but their va3ue has eased in sympathy with that tor other oats, . The chalf market is still lacking lite. Consignments coming to hand are being sold at £5 10s to £6 per ton, ex trucks, sacks extra, Dunedin. Medium and poor quality chaff is slow of sale at this time of the year. Merchants are content to work on a hand-to-mouth basis in their potato transactions. Tiie growers have been taking advantage of the present fine weather to send potatoes to the market, and although consignments have now eased off considerably, the supply is more than equal to the demand. The current value for best quality is £0 per ton, sacks included, ex store. Samples of ryegrass are still coming in freely. The seed is becoming more difficult to sell, and merchants are not inclined to pay the high prices ruling earlier, as they find themselves unable to get an outlet for machine-dressed seed. The present value of good clean lines is 5s per bushel, sacks extra, ex trucks. The dogstail crop will not be as large as that of last year. High prices, however, are not expected, as there was a heavy carry-over from last season. This carry-over will be more than sufficient for trade for the coming season. The present value of good machine-dressed seed is from 7d to 8d per lb. The crop of Chewing's Fescue is reported to be fairly good. FAT STOCK, PRICES. . CANTERBURY QUOTATIONS. Following are the prices for next week's killings of fat lambs and sheep sent to Canterbury freezing works. The quotations for lambs and wethers are Id per lb lower than last week:— AYoolly Lambs—First quality to 361 b quality 7|d. . "... Wethers. First quality, to 481 b 5 7-Bd, 49-56 oid, 57-64 od, 65-72 4sd, over 721 b second quality 4Jd.\ Fwes.—Up to 481 b 4d, up to 49-561 b 33d, up to 57-641 b 3£d, up to 65-721 b 3|dj oyer 721 b 3d.