COMMERCIAL NEWS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 34, 19 November 1938, Page 11

COMMERCIAL NEWS

FRUIT AND PRODUCE. THE ASHBURTON MARKET. New season’s commodities are now making an appearance, and green peas, tomatoes and asparagus came on the Ashburton fruit and produce market yesterday. Cauliflowers are becoming scarcer with a consequent rise in price. "Walnuts, too, are going off. Prices were as follows: Walnuts—Bd to 9d lb. Cauliflowers —6d to Bd. Carrots—ls 6d and 2s a sugar-bag. Pickling Onions —2Jd to 3d a lb. Cabbages—New season’s, 4d to 6d. Stunner Apples—7s 6d to 8s 6d. Chaff—2s 6d to 3s a sack. Potatoes—ls 6d to 2s a sugar-bag or 5s to 6s a sack. Wheat—2os to 21s a sack. Honey—Bd and 9d a lb. Onions—2d tto 2£d. Bacon—lOd to Is a lb. Hams—ls to Is 2d a lb. Seed Potatoes —Early, and 2d a lb. Lettuces—2d and 2^d. Rhubarb—4d and 5d a bundle. Gooseberries —3d and 3£d lb. Green Peas—od lb or 3s a peck. Tomatoes—ls 6d lb (hothouse). Asparagus—Bd and 9d bundle. Turnips—2d and 3d bundle.

GRAIN AND PRODUCE. THE DUNEDIN MARKET. • DUNEDIN, November 18. Sales of chaff have been confined mostly to small lots ex stores. It is only occasionally that a sale of a truck load is recorded. The wholesale value is unchanged at £6 10s a ton lor best quality ex store. Medium and poor quality are hard to place. The season for old potatoes is drawing to a close, and new ones are beginning to come on the market in increasing quantity. There are, however, good supplies of old potatoes still held in stores, but distributors are content to buy in small lots only and dispose of them as quickly as possible. The local quotation for ordinary quality is up to £2 10s a ton, sacks included, ex store.

Retail trade in seeds to meet local demand continues good. Isolated sales are also being made for shipment.

WHEAT MARKET IN BRITAIN LONDON, November 17. Wheat cargoes are dull and parcels are easier. Futures are quoted as follows: London —November 22s lOd per quarter; March 22s lOd per quarter. Liverpool—December 4s o£d per cental March 4s 5-}d per cental, May 4s 6d per cental PIGS AND POULTRY. PRICES IN ASHBURTON. Th© following prices were realised at the weekly pig and poultry market in Ashburton yesterday: — Poultry—Ducks, 3s 7d to 4s Id pair; bantams at Is 7d. Pigs—Baconers, £3 2s to £5 3s 6d ; porkers, 37s 6d to £2 16s 6d; stores, 27s to 375; slips, 22s 6d to 26s 6d; weaners, 17s 6d to 235. ~ LONDON MEAT MARKET. PRODUCERS’ BOARD’S REPORT. WELLINGTON, Nov. 18. The New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board’s report on the Smithfield market covering the period ended November 17 states that supplies of homekilled lamb are still heavy, but tending to decrease. Trade in. imported lamb is slow, with values unchanged. Trade in wethers and ewes is also slow at unchanged prices. The demand for frozen beef is quiet. Chilled beef hindquarters are steady with fores slightly easier. The demand is affected by muggy weather. Light-weight New Zealand porker pigs are firmer, but trade is slow, affected by the weather. New Zealand baconer pigs are weaker owing to lower prices of Continental bacon, . The boneless bobby veal trade is very slow. Quotations are:— Mutton. New Zealand—Crossbred wethers and/or maiden ewes: 481 b and under 43d, 40-5611) 4jtd, 67-6411) 4id. Ewes: 481 b and under 3d, 49->6lb 22d. 57-641 b 2.1 d, G5-721b 2Jd. Lambs. Now Zealand—Second quality: Average about 311 b Ggd. Other South Island: 37-421 b 73d. North Island: Second quality, average about >3ll b 6>;d. Argentine—First quality (new season’s): 361 b and under 7d, 3/-421b 61 d.

Pigs. N.Z. Porker—First quality: .Oil-801b 7id, 81-10)01 h 7d, 101-12011> 03 cl. N.Z. Baconer—l2l-16011) 6d. Veal. Boneless Bobby (new season’s), ex store, in parcels 4-i-d. Chilled Beef. New Zealand—Ox hinds Mo-2101b s |d, ox fores 145-2101 b 3Jd. Australian—Ox hinds 145-210 lb

ox crops weights corresponding 3Jd. South Rhodesian—Ox hinds 145-2101 b Od, ox fores 145-2101 b 33d. Argentine—Ox hinds 1 ; 45-2101b Gjjd, ox fores 145-2101 b 4£d. Uruguayan—Ox hinds 140-2101 b Ggd, ox fores 145-2101 b 4d. Frozen Beef. New Zealand (second quality)—Ox hinds 4£d, ox fores 3§d. Australian (second quality): Ox hinds 4 id, ox crops 3§d. The Bank of New Zealand is in receipt of the following advice from its London Office as at the close of business this week:— Wethers —The market is quiet ■aim unchanged. Ewes. —There is a better demand. Lambs.—Trade is slow. The market is weaker for second

quality. First grades remain steady. Wethers, light, lid to 4Jd; heavy, 3RI to 4 id. Ewes 2id to 3d. Lambs 2’s 73d to 8d; B’s 73d to 7pl; 4’s 7icl to 7id ; seconds dpi to 6|d. RETAIL PRICES IN LONDON. The New Zealand Meat Producers' Board has been advised by its London Office, that the following retail prices wore being quoted for Now Zealand lamb and mutton retailed in London during October. These prices represent a fair average of the prices quoted for the better class shop for best quality :

Landis —Logs 13d per Hi; shoulders, lid; loins, lid; necks, Gd; breasts 3d; forequarters, 9d; hindquarters llid.

Mutton (Wethers) —Legs 9Jd per lb; shoulders, 9d ; loins, 9d ; necks. 3d ; breasts, 2d.

THE SHARE MARKET. The following sales were made on the Cnristchurch Stock Exchange yesterday : LISTED STOCKS. * Sales on ’Change. £ s. d. 100 Bank or N.Z. (cum div.) • 2 16 200 N.Z. Breweries (cum. div.) '(2) 2 0 G 300 Taranaki Oilfields (.2) 012 0 0 12 / 500 Wool worths (Syd.) (ord.) (p) 1

200 Grey River (2) 0 14 o 00 Broken Hill South (emu div.) ... 1 10 0 Sales Reported. 50 Bank of Australasia. .. 10 1 0 80 Comm. Bank of Aust. (prof.) ... 9 14 0 00 Bank of N.Z. ... 2 1 0 UNLISTED STOCK Sale Reported 100 Ballins Broideries .. 0 10 6 DISCOUNT RATE RAISED. WELLINGTON, November 18. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand

announces that the minimum rate for discounting or rediscounting bills will be increased to 4 per cent, per annum as from November 19, 1988. The rate was reduced in July, 1930, from 4 to 3-J- per cent., and on March 2, 1936, from 31 to 2£ per cent., and on June 29, 1936, to 2 per cent. The bank, since its establishment, has discounted no bills, though it has power to do so.

BRADFORD TOPS MARKET. LONDON, November 17. Bradford quotations are: Merinos —70 ! s 27d, 64*3 25id, 60’s ;

24J d. Crossbreds—sßss 21Jd, 64’s 19d, 50’s 17d, 46’s and 44’s (nominal) 16d. The market is firm for crossbreds, especially, owing to the increased consumption and lightness of stocks.