COMMERCIAL NEWS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 65, Issue 195, 31 May 1945, Page 7

COMMERCIAL NEWS

GRAIN AND PRODUCE. THE ASHBURTON MARKET. , A quiet period on the local market is reported by the Ashburton giain, seed and produce merchants this week. The recent wet weather has delayed the sowing of wheat, and farmers are still concerned about the state of their paddocks. In some cases sowing may have to be delayed until trie spring. A strong demand from the North Island for fowl wheat still exists. Garton oats are still difficult to sell, owing to merchants being full} stocked. Uncertified perennial and Italian ryegrass of high purity and germination are meetihg with a strong demand. There is also an outlet, for certified lines of lower tests. The market for white clover remains unchanged, and red clover is in strong demand. Potatoes are still in short supply as a result of unfavourable weather for digging. Other markets are unchanged. Range of Prices. The range of prices is as follows, all on trucks at country stations, sacks extra, unless otherwise stated: Wheat—Tuscan 6s 7sd per bushel, Hunters 6s 9ld, Velvet 6s ll|d (all f.0.b.). Oats —“A” Gartons, 3s 8d per bushel; Algerians, 4s 3d to ss; Duns, 6s to 6s 6d. Lupins—F.a.q,, 5s per bushel. * Barley—Chevalier, 5s 2d per bushel (stook threshed); 5s 6d per bushel (stack threshed). Chaff —G.b.0.5., £6 5s per ton. Potatoes—Dakotas and whites £7 15s per ton, Sutton’s £8 5s per ton, all f.o.b.s.i. The Egg Market. The buying price of hen and duck eggs this week is 2s 9d a dozen and the retail price is 2s 9£d. The buying price of pullets’ eggs is 2s 6d and the selling price is 2s 6j£d.

ADDINGTON STOCK MARKET.

(P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 30. At the Addington market to-day entries in all sections show'ed a drop on last week’s big figures. Fat wethers increased in value and there was also a firming tendency in fat cattle. Fat lambs showed a slight 'improvement in prices, and there were sound sales for fat pigs and store sheep. Store Sheep—The entry was about 4000 against 3441 last week, and was comprised of 1855 lambs and 2145 adult sheep. There was a sustained demand for ewe lambs of all classes at prices up to recent rates. Best made from 26s 6d to 29s 6d, medium from 17s 6d to 20s 9d, and small and inferior 13s 6d to 16s. Best wether lambs sold from 19s 7d to 20s 4d, medium 14s 9d to 17s 6d, and small 11s 6d to 13s 9d. A line of four and sixtooth hill wethers sold from 28s to 28s 9d, and a draft of hill four-year ewes in lamb made from 22s to 23s 3d. The remainder of the yarding was comprised of aged ewes and met with a poor sale. Fat Sheep—The entry was 5000, the i same as last week, and included several pens of prime wethers, some from Southland. These sold at a rise of up to 3s a head on last week’s figures. Several lines failing to reach the reserve last week sold at 5s a bead better than the passed-in price then. Prices for medium ana light wethers did not show any change on recent values. The highest price was 49s 4d and there were several sales about the ■4os line. Heavy ewes were not wanted, but there was a keen demand for medium and light ewes, which increased by Is 6d to 2s a head. Fat Cattle —The entry was 565 against 615 last week, including,a larger showing of prime steers than a week ago. The market opened briskly at an advance of from 15s to 20s a head, but there was little change in the value of secondary quality. The demand for al classes slackened late in the sale and there were some passings. Best beef made to 445, good to 38s, and secondary cow beef to 28s per 1001 b. Extra prime steers made to £23 17s 6d, prime to £l7 15s, extra prime heifers to £l4 17s 6d, prime to £ll 15s, extra prime cows to £l3 12s 6d, and prime to £9 10s. . i Store Cattle —The store cattle pens were again well filled. A pen of 17 attractive Black Poll-Hereford calves made £6 5s 6d, and 17 heifers £5 2s Gd. More backward lines of Black Poll steer calves made £4 18s 6d for 14, and 11 heifers, same breed, £4 19s. Low conditioned pens made to £2 10s 6d. A pen of 15 Hereford calves from Southland made £5 ss. A pen of 11 forward steers sold at £l2, and another of mixed colours in ordinary condition at £lO 7s 6d. A small pen of mixed cows and heifers sold at £6 18s 6d.

Fat Pigs—The porker entry consisted mostly of small and unfinished sorts. The sale for the better class was sound, but other classes were dragging. Values for choppers were firm on last week’s rates. Baconers met with keen competition at recent values. The average price per lb was 9d to 91d. Store Pigs—The store pig entry was much smaller than for several weeks past, and consisted mainly of small and large stores, only two or three pens of weaners being yarded. For these there was keen demand and values ranged from 14s to 19s. On the other hand stores showed little change on the lower rates of a week ago. Values were: —Weaners, 14s to 19s; small stores, 24s to 28s; medium, 29s to 325; large, 33s to 38s.

THE SHARE MARKET. The following sales were mad© on the Christchurch Stock Exchange yesterday:— LISTED STOCKS. Sales on ’Change.

Sales Reported. £1350 N.Z. Govt. 3 p.c. Victory Loan, 1955-

Sales Reported. 300 Victoria Mansions . 10 0

& S. d. £3300 N.Z. Govt. 3 p.c. Stock, Dec., 195356 . 98 10 0 100 Bank of New Zealand (ex div.) 2 7 4 100 Bruce Woollens .. 1 14 6 200 N.Z. Breweries (2) (cum div.) 2 4 0 100 Beath and Co. (Is paid) 0 6 0 600 Macdnffs .. 1 6 0

58 98 5 0 75 Dalgety and Co. .. 100 N.Z. Guarantee Cor9 2 0 poration 0 4 4 100 Timaru Woollens . 125 N.Z. Breweries 1 0 0 (cum div.) 9 4 0 1550 Fletcher Holdings (ex div.) (4) l 10 G (2) i 10 7 100 Howard Smith i 5 2 100 Macduffs (ord.) .. 0 16 3 44 N.Z. Drug Co. (fully paid) (odd parcel) 5 2 6 UNLISTED STOCKS.