COMMERCIAL NEWS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 54, Issue 255, 9 August 1934, Page 7

COMMERCIAL NEWS.

GRAIN AND PRODUCE. THE ASHBURTON MARKET. A fairly quiet period has been reported in most sections of the Ashburton grain and produce markets. The weather has been unfavourable for the sowing of spring wheat and a considerable acreage is still to be drilled. A fair demand for seed Tuscan and Jumbuck has been experienced. There are few sales of milling wheat taking place. Fowl wheat is a shade easier and several sales have been reported during the week. The oat market is lifeless and growers are content to hold in the meantime.

Potatoes have suffered a further setback. There appears to be more tubers available than was anticipated earlier in the season. Seed potatoes are moving off very slowly. Oat sheaf chaff is not meeting with the inquiry it would appear to warrant. The market for grass-seed, cocksfoot and clover is very firm. Supplies of the last-mentioned are very scarce locally. „ . . , Partridge peas are about finished. There is a fair inquiry for damaged peas suitable for seed purposes. The following prices are quoted to be paid to farmers, on trucks at country stations, sacks extra, unless otherwise stated: — Wheat—New season's interim payment. Tuscan f.a.q. milling, 3s 10*d, Hunters 4s OJd,- velvet 4s 2|d, f.o.b. Fowl wheat 2s lOd l , wheat seconds 2s 3d. Oats—Algerians Is 9d to 2s, good heavy dark Duns Is 8d to 2s, heavy Gartons Is 9d to Is lid, B grade la firl Grass Seed—Perenniab 3s 3d to 3s 6d, Wolths and Italian 3s to 3s 6d, cocksfoot 7*d to 8d for good quality 86 Clover—Red 9d to lOd a lb, white lOdto Is Id a lb. ' Chaff—Good, bright o.atsheaf £2 5s a ton. , „ Peas—No. 1 Partridge 4s 6d; f.a.q., "potatoes— Dakotas. £2 2s 6d, whites £2.

SOUTH CANTERBURY. TIMARU, This Day The South Canterbury grain, seed and produce markets have been quiet during the week, the chief lines of interest being fowl wheat and partridge peas. At present the only buyer of milling wheat is the Pool. Odd lines are still coming forward. There is a good demand for fowl wheat, yesterday's price being 3s Id a bushel oh trucks, handy stations. A few lines v of' Garton oats have been offered at ls'lld a bushel on truck's for A's and Is 9d for B's. Good heavy dark Duns are quoted at 2s 2d a bushel on trucks, and Algerians Is 9d a bushel on trucks. No. 1 partridge peas are worth 4s 9d a bushel on trucks. There is still a good export demand. Chaff is quoted at £2 12s 6d a ton on trucks. The potato market is very weak, nominal quotations being £2 5s to £2 10s a ton on trucks, according to stations.

All classes of seeds remain firm at the following values:—Ryegrass 3s a bushel on trucks. Western Wolths and Italian 3s 6d a bushel on trucks for good clean lines, white clover Is Id per lb, cowgrass 9d per lb, Chewings Fescue Is 6d per lb, crested dogstail Is Id per lb, and cocksfoot 9d per lb for undressed lines. There is an export demand for Chewings.Fescue.

WHEAT PRICES IN BRITAIN. v LONDON, August 7. A sharp increase in the prices of American and Argentine wheat caused a great activity on the Liverpool Exchange. A rise occurred, in a speculative market, of 3d per cental, which is slightly over Is per quarter. The price of flour has been officially raised by Is. Cargoes—Strong tone, holders of Canadians asking an advance of 2s 6d. Australians Is 6d, Plates Is 9d to 2s. Buyers were reluctant to follow. Parcels—Steady, mostly Is 9d to 2s 6d dearer. Fair business was done. Futures are quoted:— London (qr.): September 265, December 27s 3d. Liverpool : Octobar 6s 3|d per cental, December 6s s|d. March 6s 7fd. WHEAT DEARER IN SYDNEY. SYDNEY, August 8. Wheat prices continue to rise. Yesterday's quotation for bulk wheat in the city was 3s 10$d. An influential section of the trade expects that the present upward movement will continue until the price touches 4s 6d per bushel.

THE STOCK MARKETS. ADDINGTON. CHRISTCHURCH, August 8. The National double market was held to-day. Owing to shipping troubles the North Island was practically not represented by fat stock, only four coming forward There were outstanding lines from the south of both sheep and cattle. Store Sheep—There was a small entry comprising aged ewes for the most part. Values recovered a little; of last week's easing. Spring Lambs—Twenty came torward and sold unevenly at from 30s to 48s. , Fat Sheep—There was an entry of 6000, but the quality was not up to the usual national standard. The best wether price was 42s lOd and ewe 39s 7d. Show wethers sold to 42s lOd, extra prime 29s to 31s, prime heavy 26s to 28s, medium weight prime 23s to 25s 6d, ordinary 20s to 22s 6d, light to 19s, show ewes to 29s 7d, extra prime heavy 25s 61 to 26s 6d, prime heavy 23s 6d to 255, medium weight prime 20s 6d to 235, ordinary 1/s fed to 20s and light 17s. Fat Cattle— 605 were penned. Apart from eight to ten show bullocks, the entry was of ordinary quality. An advance of up to 20s a head was recorded on last week. Top price was £2O for a, North Island bullock. Prime beef made from 25s' to 28s, a few pens to 29s per 1001 b, prime heavy irom

22s to 24s Id, plain heavy 19s to 21s Id, secondary beef 16s 6d. to 19s Id, and rough down) to 14b. /Show bullocks made £1.6 to £2O, extra prime heavy steers £ll 5s to £l4 s's, prime heavy £9 5s to £ll, prime medium weight £8 to £lO, ordinary £5 10s to £7 10s, light £5; extra prime heifers to £ll 17s 6d, prime £6 to £8 10s, ordinary £4 5s to £5 15s, light to £4, extra prime cows to £8 17s 6d, prime £5 10s to £7 10s, ordinary £3 15s to £5,. light and aged to £3 10s. Store Cattle—There was a nondescript entry with no quotable lines. Fat Pigs—There was a good sized entry and a firm sale. A giant sow of about IOOOIb live weight, sold, at £2O. Ordinary choppers made 50s to £6, bacon ors 47s 8d to £3 14s 6d (average 4£d to 5d lb), porkers 25's 6d to £2 Is 6d (5d to sjd). Store Pigs—Values .were a shade easier. Weaners made 9s 6d to 14s Id and stores 14s 6d to 255.

BUKNSIDE. DUNEDIN, August 8. There good entries in the major sections at the B.urnsicle sale to-day. In the fat cattle section 282 head were yarded, with a good selection of all grades. The full yarding made buyers cautious, and opening prices on an average were £1 a head down, as compared with last week's values. The demand improved, and the prices for the last two races were Is a head better.' Extra prime heavy bullocks sold to £l4 7s 6d, prime heavy £lO 10s to £l2 12s 6d. medium £7 15s to £9 7s 6d, light £6 2s 6d. to £7 2s. 6d, extra prime heifers to £8 17s 6(2, "prime heavy heifers and young cows £5 7s 6d to, £7 7s 6d, light and medium £4 7s 6d to £4 17s 6d. The yarding of 1400 fat sheep contained very few heavy but an excellent selection of good quality ewesThere was a firm demand from the opening, but toward the latter part of the sale values for medium and lightweight ewes eased by Is a head. Apart from this, prices for ewes and wethers were Is a head better than last week's. Extra prime heavy wethers sold to 345. 9d, prime heavy 29s to 31s 6d, medium 25s to 28s, light 21s to 245, extra prime heavy ewes to 25s 3d, prime heavy 20s to 22s 6d, prime medium 16s 6d to 19s 7d, light and medium ]2s to 15s 6d. The few hoggets offered included some prime sorts, which were keenly competed for at prices ranging up to 27s 6d. There was a,small entry in the store cattle section, numbering 80 head, composed of veafers and cull cows. Vealers sold firmly at late rates, but, on account of the short supply, prices for graziers' and boner cows firmed considerably. There was a very small entry in thejdairy section and no improvement oil the low values which have ruled recently. In the fat pig section there was a yarding of 118 head. Bacon curers operated throughout, and a steady sale resulted. Heavy baconers sold to £3 10s and heavy porkers to £3 7s. Ninety-one store pigs were forward, and prices were slightly easier. Large stores sold to 255.