COMMERCIAL NEWS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 122, 5 March 1936, Page 9

COMMERCIAL NEWS

GRAIN AND PRODUCE. THE ASHBURTON MARKET. Ashburton grain, seed and produce merchants report a more actiye week on the local market. Owing to the recent rain threshing has been further suspended. Several lines of wheat have been sold to millers, although the wheat did, not conform to fii.q. standard. Owing to the high moisture content and damage caused through sprouting in some of the lines offering, millers are unwilling to accept these in the meantime. A large proportion of the wheat is much below the standard bushel weight. It is difficult to secure even fowl wheat that will pass the grade. The market for oats remains quiet. Good dark heavy Duns are inquired for, but few lines are coming forward. Potatoes have firmed in price, but it is anticipated that there will be ample supplies for all requirements. Owing to the delay through weather conditions in harvesting the pea crop, difficulty was experienced, in securing supplies for orders last month, and prices a good deal in excess of London parity were paid in some cases. The cocksfoot market is firmer, and sales have been recorded at increased rates. The following are prices to be paid to growers, free of commission, on trucks at country- stations, sacks extra: — Wheat Milling Tuscan 4s sd, Hunters 4s 7d, Pearl and Velvet 4s 9d (all f.0.b.). Good whole fowl wheat 4s. Oats—"A" Cartons Is 10d, "B" grade Is Bd, Algerians Is 6d to Is 7d, Duns Is 6d to 2s 6d, according to quality. Grass Seeds—Perennial, Italian and Western Wolths, Is 6d to Is 3d a bushel; cocksfoot, 7d to 8d a lb. Oatsheaf Chaff—Good, bright oatsheaf, £2 5s a ton. Partridge Peas—No. 1 grade, 4s 3d a bushel. Potatoes—Whites and Dakotas, £3 10s a ton, April-May-June delivery. THE STOCK SALES. ADDINGTON.

. (Per Press Association.) CHMSTCHURCH, March 4. Entries were larger in practically all sections'of, the Aldington market today, and there was a general improvement in values. Store Lambs—There, was a yarding of 7500 and a slightly better sale. Best rape lambs made to 19s 3d, carry over wether lambs to 14s 6d,, and best ewe lambs to 235. Store Ewes—ls,ooo were penned, mostly aged sheep, there being only a few lines of fair to good two-tooths and four and five-year ewes. Best four-year halfbred sold to 30s, good 279 to 295, best five-year halfbred 22s to 245, medium 18s to 20s, best two-tooths to 34s 6d, good 30s to 325, and ordinary 26s to 28s. The sale for older ewes was very keen. Fat Lambs.—There has been an advance in the export schedule of a farthing per lb and up to 36's are now Bsd, seconds Bd, and overweights 7gd. There was a, brisk sale at These prices for the 3000 lambs penned. Fat Sheep.—39oo were penned. Owing t to some extent to the small number of fat lambs coming forward to the works, exporters bought freely in the sheep pens to-day and there was an all-round advance of Is a head. Best wethers made to 355, good 27s to 295, prime medium-weight 24s 6d to 26s 3d, light and ordinary 20s to 235, •best ewes to 29s lOd, good 23s to 25s 6d, freezing to 14s 6d. Fat Cattle—The 455 penned sold at an advance of about lOte a head. Prices for steers was £l3 7s 6d. Good steers made from £lO to £l2, best cows to £8 12s 6d, and best heifers to £9 12s 6d.' Fat Pigs.—Baconers made 4Gs to £3 5s 6d (average price per lb 4-|d to sd), porkers 30s to 43s 6d (average price per lb s|d to 6fd). BUKNSIDE.

DUNEDTN, March 4. There was a large entry of fat cattle at the Burnside sale to-day, 284 being submitted to auction. There were more prime heavy bullocks included than usual, while the cows and heifers offered, apart from a few pens of prime sorts, were only of fair quality. The market opened quietly and values for heavy bullocks showed a drop of 10s a head. Prices for prime cows and heifers were practically on a par with late rates, but light descriptions were from 10s to 15s a head easier. The sale continued practically on this basis until the final races, when the market had a firming tendency for all classes. There were no quotable lines of steers in the entry of 127 store cattle. Vealers were in short supply and met With an improved demand. Prices for the usual assortment of boner and graziers

cows were unchanged. The 25 dairy cows forward were of mixed appearance. Buyers showed a marked preference for good young close-to-profit sorts, which sold to £8 12s 6d. The display jn the fat sheep section was not very attractive. A total of 1534 was penned, the offering comprising principally ewes, with only odd consignments of heavy wethers, lnc latter class, being short of requirements, sold at firmer values throughout. Heavy ewes sold about on a par with average rates, while medium sorts barely made late rates. The entry of 1766 fat lambs included only odd consignments of prime heavy sorts, the bulk comprising medium lambs and several pens of light and unfinished sorts. Butchers purchased all heavier grades, and freezing buyers operated on an enhanced schedule A 'firm sale for all classes resulted, the entry of fat pigs numbered 166 with a larger offering than usual of baeoiiers, which under keen competition sola to £3 16s. Porkers were in demand at the commencement of the sale, but over the final races were 4s a head cheaper. The entry of 116 store pigs did not attract much attention, and values declined about 3s a head.

SYDNEY WOOL SALES. GOOD GENERAL COMPETITION. (United Press Association— Copyright.) SYDNEY, March 4. At the wool sales 10,485 bales were offered, 9185 were sold at auction and 1613 privately. There was good general competition, with values firm at yesterday's level. Greasy merino made to 23d. THE SHARE MARKET. The following sales were made on the Christchurch Stock Exchange yesterday : LISTED STOCKS. Sales on 'Change. £ s. d. 300 Com. Bank of Aust. (3) 10 4 195 Goldsbrough, Mort (2) 112 11 500 Anthony Hordern (5) 1 0 1 100 Beath and Co. ... 18 6 100 Dunlop Perdriau Rubber 0 14 10 200 Hume Pipe (Aust., cum div. (2) 016 8 200 Mount Morgan (2) 016 2 Sales Reported. 100 Com. Bank of Aust. 1 0 4 5 Bank of N.S.W. - ... 34 12 6 133 Wright, Stephenson... 017 7 100 Electro. Zinc (ord.) cum div.) ••• 115 10 100 Dunlop Rubber ... 014 11 300 Maori Gully (cum div.) 0 10