COMMERCIAL NEWS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 153, 10 April 1930, Page 7

COMMERCIAL NEWS

GRAIN AND PRODUCE. THE ASHBURTON MARKET. The quality of the wheat now coming forward is far superior to that received earlier, and goes to prove the millers' contention that it pays the farmer to stock his wheat. Sales are still being reported of good Tuscan at 5s 3d l and Hunters at 5s lOd on trucks, but most merchants are*' finding ftt extremely hard to dispose cf Velvet or Pearl. Most millers contend there is not the difference warranted in the .nrice. as some lines of Tuscan are just as high in protein as Velvet. The fowl wheat market has eased slightly and where it was hard to obtain supplies at 5s lOd early in the week, merchants are now letting their requirements filled at 5s 9d.' Seconds are nominally worth 4s 6d on trucks, but the demand is limited. Oats—Tli© Garton oat market is slightly firmer caused principally by oversellers covering up their April delivery. It is anticipated prices will most likely recede later in the month. Samples of seed from Southland arid Qtago giive conclusive proof of the good quailty of the oats in these districts. Most of the lines are passed as A grade and weigh from 44 to 48 pounds to the bushel. The colour also is extremely bright, and far superior to the local A Gartons. Sipso Gartons are still quoted at 5s 9id f.o.b.s.i. with Lvttelton-Timaru-Oamarus at Id more. While good dark Duns are still saleable at 4s 6d to 4s 9d, it is considered this price is above the actual value, as good machine-dressed Duns can be bought in Dunedin at 5s 6d per bushel f.o.b.s.i. Odd lines of Algerians are still coming forward and are being purchased at from 3s 6d to 3s 9d on trucks. . . Chaff—Very little interest is being taken in this 'commodity which is quoted at £6 10s f.o.b.s.i. for prompt delivery. Prices to farmers range from £4 to £4 10s according to quality.

p eas .—The London position is unchanged, and no calls are reported. Verv little interest is being taken locally although odd sales have been made on the basis of 4s on trucks for No. l's and 3s 6d for f.a.q.'s. Potatoes—Prices are, if anything slightly easier, and merchants are finding it extremely hard to dispose of 'their present stocks. Prompts are quoted at £4 10s f.o.b.s.i. which is the equivalent of £3 5s on trucks. Very little interest is being taken m forward potatoes and one is safe in saying that not a quarter of the business is beino- put through as at the same time last°year. Merchants generally seem mo* inclined td wait until actual (roods are readv for delivery. There is very little inquiry for Dakotas and these are quoted at the same price as Whites. Practically no lines of grass seeds are being offered and prices are unchanged. The following are quotations for produce to be paid to farmers, on trucks, free of commission, sacks extra, except where otherwise stated:— Wheat—Tuscan, good milling (free), 5s 7d to 5s Bd, f.a.q. 5s 6d, fowl wheat 5s 3d, seconds 4s 6d to 4s 9d. Oats—A Gartons 3s 3d, B Gartons 3s to 3s 2d, seed Algerians 3s 6d to 3s 9d, feed 3s to 3s 3d, good heavy dark Duns 4s 6d, feed 3s 6d to 3s 9d. Grass Seed—Perennial 5s 3d to 5s 6d, Western Worths 4s 3d to 4s 6d, Italians 4s 3d to 4s 6d, red clover 5d to 6d, whit© 8d to lOd per lb, according to quality: cooksfoot Bd. Chaff.—Good bright oatsheaf £4 10s f.a.q. £4. No. 1 Peas—New season's 4s, f.a.q. s 3s 6d on trucks Potatoes—Whites £3 ss, Dakotas £3 ss.

SOUTH CANTERBURY

TIMARU, Thjg Day. Chief interest in the South Canterbury grain and produce markets during the past week has centred in wheat. A good many stack-threshed lines are coming on to the market, and are meeting with a- good sale at 5s lOd on trucks for Tuscan, less Id commission to brokers. This season the only line millers seem to show any interest in has been Tuscan, and both Hunters and Velvet are worth little more. In some instances Hunters have been sold at 6s on trucks, but in most cases millers are purchasing at 6s delivered, less Id brokerage to merchants. Generally speaking, the quality of the wheat is claimed to be not as good as that of last year. Over the last few weeks there lias been good demand for fowl wheat, but very little has been offering. Most fowl wheat appears to be now in the Pool, and 5s l(Jd is being paid. For Dun oats there is not such a good inquiry as existed a few weeks back. Up to as much as 5s 3d, f.0.b., s.i., was paid by the North Island at that time, but now that Dunedin oats have come on the market lines have been bought from there as ss, f.o.b.s.i. At present Duns are nominally worth 4s 6d on trucks. There is a shortage of Algerians, and only odd lines are offering. There has been a good inquiry for both A and B Gartons. Prompt A's have been sold at 3s 9sd, f.0.b.i.5., with May-Junes at 3s 9d. B's maintain their price at 3s Bd, f.o.b.s.i. Although there is a good inquiry in forward business,, very little is doing in prompt- sales. The North Island prefers to buy under-grade oats at 3s 7d, f.o.b.s.i. At present prices are 3s 1-Jd on trucks. There has been good yields of oats" in Southland, and good heavy oats have been offering, weighing from 46 to 48 lbs per bushel. There has been a good demand for Cape barley, ryecorn and black barley. The inquiry for chaff has slackened off, no doubt because of the quantity now offering. Good bright oat sheaf chaff is worth £5 on trucks.

Good quantities of potatoes are now offering, and prices have gone back accordingly. Table potatoes are nominally worth £3 17s 6d on trucks, equal to £4 12s 6d, f.o.b.s.i. Seeds are not so much in demand as was the case last week, bnt prices have not changed to any extent. There has been more linseed offering than for several years, and this is no doubt attributable to the fact that the higher prices early in the year induced growers to sow more. The price is about £ls 10s on trucks, although up to £l6 has been paid. Few lines of peas are ofFerinp-, owing to an absence of inquiry. They are worth about 4s on truck . THE STOCK SALES. ADDINGTON. CHRISTCHURCH, April 9. Heavy entries in all the major departments were the rule at to-day's market at Addington. and in the fat stock sections especially the effects of the prolonged spell of dry weather

were very noticeable. The sale on the whole was a very disappointing one to vendors, and°easings in value were recorded for fat lambs, fat store sheep and fat cattle. Export buyers were not operating at all freely, owing to congestion at the works, and their limited buying in the fat sheep and fat lamb departments was in. part responsible for the decline in values. ,

Store Sheep.—A large yarding of adult sheep met with a very dragging sale, which showed anieasing tendency. Lines from Marlborough and the Chatham Islands were included in the yarding. Store lambs were penned in very small numbers, and sold at late rates. Values were: Extra good two-tooth Romney ewes to 30s 6d, nood to 27s 6d, medium 22s to 245, ordinary to 21s; ordinary four and six-tooth Homney ewes 20s 6d £o 23s 6d, four, six and eight-tooth Romney ewes 16s to 18s 3d, s.m. Homney ewes 15s to 16s 6d, f.m. Romney ewes 10s 6d to 13s- extra good two-tooth halfbred ewes 26s to 28s, ordinary 20s to 225; four, six and eight-tooth ewes 13s to 17s, s.m. halfbred ewes 14s ,6d to 16s 6d, f.m. ewes 9s to 12s; medium two-tooth threeqiiarterbred ewes to 245, medium four and six-tooth three-quarterbred ewes to 25s 3d ; medium four, six and eighttooth halfbred wethers to 17s, ordinary wethers to 12s 6dj two-tooth halfbred wethers 12s to 13s 9d, merino wethers to 6s 3d; rape lambs 13s to 15s, medium m.s. lambs 10s to 12s 9d, backward wether lambs to 7s 6d.

Fat Lambs. —The entry was 3450, compared with 2730 last week. The quality was fairly good. Export buyers were not operating at all and values all round were easier by Is and up to 2s a head. The average price per lb was 6Jd to 7£d per lb. Extra prime lambs made to 27s lOd, prime 22s 6d to 255. medium 19s 6d to 225.

Fat Sheep.—There was the largest entry some weeks, and the sheep were of very good average quality. Due partly to the limited operations of the export buyers, values were easier than at last week's sale. Ewes declined by up to 2s a head, and wethers by up to Is 6d a head. Values were: Extra prime wethers 32s 4d, prime 25s 6d to 27s 6d, ..medium, 22s to 24s 6d; extra prime ewes 21s 4d, prime 17s 6d to 19s 6d, medium 14s to 16s 6d. Fat Cattle.—The entry totalled 580 head,'almost as big as at the treble market in December, and the largest this year. The quality was very mixed. The sale was an irregular one, and values were easier for all classes by £1 and up to £1 10s a head. Best medium weight prime beef made from 37s to 40s per 1001 b, and in the case of a few odd pens a little more ; medium quality from 32s to 355; heavy steer beef 32s 6d to 36s 6d, good cow 29s to 32s 6d. Extra heavy prime steers fetched up to £l9 17s 6d, heavy prime £ls to £l7 10s, medium prime £l2 to £ls 10s, ordinary £8 15s to £ll 10s; show heifers to £ls 12s 6d, extra prime heifers to £l4 12s 6d, prime £lO to £l2 10s, ordinary £7-10s to £9 10s; show cows to £l6 17s 6d, extra prime cows to £l4 2s 6d, prime £9 10s to £l2, medium £7 to £9. Vealers—Only a medium entry was offered, and all killable. sorts sold at last week's rates. Top price was £8 6s. Good runners made £5 5s to £6 ss, medium £4 to £5, others 10s to £3 10s.

Dairy Cattle.—An entry of 83 head was of'quality average. Best price was £2 010 s for a springing heifer, Jersey cross. Values were: Best second and third calvers to £ls 10s. medium to good £9 to £l4; extra good heifers to £2O 10s, good £ll to £l3, medium £9 to £lO 10s. Store cattle were yarded in fair numbers, and most of them shewed the' effects of the shortage of feed. Very few straight lines were offered. A pen of mixed sex two-year-olds of good colour made £5 8s 6d, and a pen of 18-months-old heifers brought £3 18s 6d. Good fresh cows made up-to £6. Fat Pigs.—Fat pigs again were in heavy supply, there being large entries of both porkers and baconers. The sale was a good one for both sorts, and prices were firm at late rates. Choppers, which were in over supply, were slightly easier. Extra good choppers brought up to £7 18s 6d, others £2 to £5 ss; porkers 48s to 525, heavy porkers 56s to 63s (average per lb to 9d); baconers £3 10s to £4 3s 6d, heavy baconers £4 5s to £5 ss, extra heavy to £5 14s 6d (average 6d to 7d).

Store Pigs.—There was only a medium entry in the store pig sectiom. and it consisted largely of slips and weaners. Large sorts were scarce, and the few offered sold keenly. Prices for the rest of the entry were considerably easier. Values were: Large stores 42s to 475. medium 35s to 40s, slips 20s to 23s ; best weaners 12s to 15s. others 8s to 10s 6d.

BURNSIDE. DUNEDIN, April 9. There was about the usual number present at the Burnside sales to-day, in spite of the incessant rain. Exporters were busy on light wethers and ewes, and secured fully half the yarding, while the majority of lambs were bought by the butchers. The freezing works were running smoothly as usual. Fat Sheep—ln a yarding of 3050 fat sheep' only about 200 prime wethers were penned, while the balance included some extra. choice ewes. However, the majority of the yarding was made up of old and light ewes. A choice pen of wethers brought 33s 6d. Prices for wethers were equal to about 4t}cl per lb for choice and 4d per lb for plain sorts. Ewes sold at 23s Id to 31s, equalling 4d per lb. A truck of extra heavy wethers made 33s 6d, and other extra, heavies sold at 32s and 345. Other prices for heavy wethers were 30s 6d, 28s 6d, 31s; medium wethers 27s 6d, 26s 6d; light wethers 24s 3d, 255. Extra heavy ewes made 235, 24s 9d ; heavy ewes 19s to 21s 6d, light ewes 13s, 12s 9d. Fat Lambs.—The yarding was smaller and_ the quality' was not so good as previously. Owing to the exporters' limits being reduced, prices were back about Is 6d to 2s a head, working out at 7£d to 8d per lb. The top price for four special lambs was 33s 6d. Ordinary butchers' lambs went from 21s to 245. and the biggest portion of the yarding was secured by butchers. Store Cattle.—A very poor yarding of store cattle was made up chiefly of old cows and a pen or two of medium bullocks. These latter sold, at from £9 to £lO per head, while the cows brought from £6 to £lO.

Fat Cattle.—A yarding of 198 head consisted principally of bullocks of cood quality. The sale operated at last week's rates, but quickly advanced to about 15s a head better than the last sale prices. The top realised early in the sale was £2O 17s 6d. Pigs.—There were 184 fats and 70 stores. The sale was a little easier than last week, and bacon pigs were equal to per lb with porkers at 9£d per lb.