COMMERCIAL NEWS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 139, 25 March 1935, Page 7

COMMERCIAL NEWS

FROZEN MEAT TRADE. PRODUCERS' BOARD'S REPORT. The New Zealand Meat Producers Board has received the following cable from its London office, dated March 22, advising that the following are the sipproximate average prices realised for the week, based on actual transactions of wholesale quantities of the descriptions of meat mentioned, and are for representative parcels of the goods offering during the week, being for business done on the basis of delivered to Smithfield market and/or ex London stores: — Frozen Mutton, crossbred wethers and maiden ewes: Canterbury and North Island selected: 48-561 b 43d, 57-641 b 3|d, 65-721 b 3|d. North Island -,45-561b 4£d, 47-641 b 3|d, 65-721 b 3| d Ewes—4Blb and under 3Ja, 48-641 b 3Jd, 65-721 b B§d. Frozen Lamb: Canterbury—36lb and under 63d, 37-421 b 6|d, 43-501 b 6|d Second quality, average 321 b 6|d. Other South Island brands—36lb and under 62d, 37-421 b 6£d, 43-501 b 62d Second quality, average 321 b 6£d. Other N.I brands, firsts— 361 b and under 6*d. Australian: Victorian, firsts 631 b and under s|d, 37-421 b s|d. Argentine—36lb and under sfd, 37-421 b ° Frozen Beef: N.Z. Beef—Ox fores 2|d, ox hinds 3gd Australian : Ox crops, over lOOlb 3£d., ox hinds, over 1601 b 3gd. Chilled Beef: Argentine—Ox >fores 2id, ox hinds 4|d. , Frozen Pork: N.Z. Prime Porker Pigs—6o-801b Sid, 81-1001 b 4£d, 1011201 b sd. N.Z. Baeoner Figs—l2o-1601b Lamb market—Meeting with fair demand with consumption increasing, but with heavier supplies and pressure to sell prices shade easier. Mutton market —Wethers: .Trade slow with prices lower. Demand for ewes improving at the lower values. Beef market—Quiet, owing to lower prices of Argentine chilled beef. N.Z. Porker Pigs—Meeting with better trade with priches unchanged. N.Z. Baeoner pigs—Market quiet and unchanged.

The Board supplies the following table, giving the equivalent New Zealand parity, after deducting all costs, including selling commission. The costing is based on to-day's estimated skin values, and.includes exchange at current rates. The calculation is on the basis of a prime woolly lamb weighing, say 34lbs, delivered at freezing works: —

If price delivered N.Z. "overall to Smithfield parity delivered is at works (approx.) d. per lb. d. per lb. 61 6.78 61 6.63 Si • 6.48

The cost of lolling, freezing and placing on board steamer is based on a charge of .575 d per lb.

Messrs J. T. Thomas and Co. have received cabled advice from their London agents, under date March 25, which reads as under: —New Zealand lambs, selected Downs, 2's, 63d, 7d; secondary, 6£d, 6fd; New Zealand lambs, 2 ; s, 6£d, 63d; B's, 6|d, 6£d; 4's, 63-d, 6Jd; secondary lambs, 6Jd, 6£d; New Zealand mutton, small, 4d, ojdj large, Bid, 3&d; New Zealand ewes, large, 2§d, 23d; small, Sid, 3£d; NewZealand beef, ox hinds, 3id, 3|d; ox fores, 23d, 23d; Argentine' chilled ox hinds, 4d, 43d; ox fores, 3d, 3£d; New Zealand pork, 4|d, sgd; Australian lambs, sfd, 6d; superfine quality, 6Jd, 6Jd; Argentine lambs, s£d, 6d. Lambs: There is a fair demand, but sellers trying to force sales have weakened values.

Wethers: Weaker values ruling owing to lack of demand. Ewes: The reduction in prices has improved the demand. Beef: The demand is affected by low prices of chilled beef. Pork: There is a, little better demand. Trade generally is slow, being affected by heavy supplies.

DAIRY PRODUCE. LONDON QUOTATIONS. The New Zealand Dairy Producs Board has received the following martot report from its London offic* March 22: Butter. New Zealand—Salted 71-72 s (last week 73-745, last year 72_-735); exceptional 735; unsalted, 76w80s (80-S2s, 72-735); deliveries, 2126 tons (2327, 2320); in store, 5864 tons (6508, 8937). The price for salted equals approximately 8.136 s f.o.b. The market is steadier. Retail prices are unchanged, Danish Is Id, New Zealand lOd. Australian—Salted 70s to 71s. Danish—7Bs f.0.b., 100 sto 104 s spot. Latvian—iTJnsalted 765. Cheese. New Zealand—" White 45-45Js (last week 44-44£s, last year 43}-445); coloured, 45_-46s (45-45*s, 4%-445) • deliveries 16,861 crates (16,727, 20,382);

in store, 154,609 (144,680, 106,807). The price for white equals approximately 4.86 d f.0.b., and for coloured 4.92 d. The market is quiet, and the New Zealand retail price is unchanged at 6d. , Australian—White 42s to 435; coloured 435. Canadian—White 60s to 625, coloured 61s to 635. English—Finest farmers' 82s to 90s; factory cheese, 42s to 445.

MINIMUM PRICES. The minimum f.o.b. prices for the period from March 23 until further notice remains unchanged at:—Butter B|d, lessj 1£ P er cent, commission (72s 2d, c.i.f.e.). Cheese, s|d, less 1$ per cent commission (44s lid e.iX'e). PROPERTY PASSED IN. The well-known suburban property, "Bleak House," Allenton, was offered for sale on Saturday by Mr Reg. Stephenson, but) as no suitable bid was forthcoming, it was passed. The property, which was owned by Mrs Henry "Stephenson, comprised 2 acres 3 roods 10 perches, and a residence of l 0 rooms. NEW ZEALAND TRADE. FIGUR.ES FOR FEBRUARY. WELLINGTON, March 23. Figures for the overseas trade of New Zealand (excluding specie) for the month of February and the two months ended in February were as follows, compared with the corresponding periods of 1934 and 1933 : February Totals. 1935. 1934. £ £ Exports 4,453,000 6,249,000 Imports ~ 2,441,000 1,945,000 Excess export*... 2,012,000 4,304,000 totals. 1935. 1934. 1933. ££ £ . Exports 9,529,000 11,330,000 7,056,000 Imports 5,655,000 4,804,000 4,474,000 Excess • . j „_.. exports 3,874,000 6,525,000 3,182,000 Note.—(l) All the above values are expressed in terms of New Zealand currency. (2) Specie excluded, for the month of February, 1935, total exports £66,900, imports £5500; and for the two months ended February, 1935, exports £134,900, imports £178,000.

AMERICAN WHEAT MARKET. (United Brew Association—«iX)pyrigflt). NEW YORK, March 23. Wheat quotations are:— . Chicago: May 94J cents a bushel, Julv 9U, September 90£d. New york: Cash 112^. THE SHARE MARKET. The following sales were maae on the Christchurch Stock Exchange on Saturday :- LISTED STOCKS. Sales on 'Change.

£ s. d. 100 Com. Bank of Aust. 0 15 10 100 Timaru Brewery (7s 6d pd.) 0 8 5 50 Brokea Hill Pty ... 2 9 2 100 Dunlop Perdriau Rub. 0 17 0 300 Alexander Mines (15s paid) (4) 0 17 9 300 Mount Lyell 0 18 2 Sales Reported. £ s. d. 200 'Tooths Brewery (late sale March 22) ' (2) 2 7 0 200 Stockton Coal (pf.) ... 0 4 O 200 Quill, Morris (in liquidation) 0 4 0