GRAIN AND PRODUCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 25, 31 January 1928, Page 4

GRAIN AND PRODUCE.

SOUTHERN HARVESTS GOOD.

LOCAL POTATOES SCARCE,

BRAN AND SHARPS WANTED

SCARCITY OF GREEN FEED.

Still no rain, with the result that the hot sun is burning up the pasture, and this has caused a strong demand for both bran and sharps for feed stock. The want of rain has also prejudicially affected th° later yield of potatoes in the Auckland district, which means that it will be necessary to draw supplies from the South earlier than usual. In fact, already buyers are operating down there. On the other hand the hot weather just suited the onions, and also the maize crop on the East Coast. The latter promises a good yield this year. Grass seed is being saved in first-class condition on the Akaroa Peninsula, but in Southland the harvest is expected to be later this year. Potatoes. The certainty of a shortage of locallygrown potatoes a little later on has caused Auckland buyers to secure parcels fori March delivery from Christchurch. Up to | £4 per ton has been paid for potatoes on truck, Canterbury, for delivery next March. For April delivery £3 10/ is asked f.o.b. and s.i. The potato crop iu Canterbury is reported to be looking well this season. The local market for potatoes is now exceedingly firm and is likely to continue so until supplies from the South about March or April. Prices now are much higher than those ruling for potatoes this time last year. This is due to the crop in the Auckland district being much under the average of previous seasons. Onions. The crop of onions in the Auckland district was a good one this season. With the absence of rain and plenty of hot sun, the tubers are well dried and should keep as long as necessary. In the South, onions are firm at £4 15/ per ton on trucks, and already inquiries have been received from Auckland with a view to bringing supplies from that source. Maize. The position with regard to maize is that growers on the East Coast are not anxious to sell at the rates now obtainable. All the maize now obtainable in cribs is stated to be of good quality. The new season's crop of maize is reported to be looking particularly well and a large area has been planted. It is probable the East Coast will produce twice as much maize this year as it did last season. A report from Gisborne states' that there appears to still be a large quantity of maize in the cribs, probably sufficient to supply the demand until the new maize comes in next June. It is thought the crop will be ready for market earlier this year on account of the hot weather that has prevailed. Grass Seed. Reaping cocksfoot seed has started on Akaroa Peninsula. The seed appears to be above the usual standard this season, the kernals being ahotty and well filled. The past season's crop of cocksfoot has been practically all absorbed. Local cocksfoot seed is expected to be firm in price this season as the compulsory staining of Danish cocksfoot seed may shut that out of this market. The Southland harvest of grass seed will be later this season. Fowl Wheat. Indications point to a good yield of wheat in New Zealand this year. In Invercargill supplies of local fowl wheat are now exhausted. In Canterbury there is a tendency to sell new season's fowl wheat forward, which also indicates that a good yield is expected. Quotations were made at 5/10 per bushel, sacks extra, for March delivery and later. Tha price has been agreed to by some North Island merchants. Representations have been made to the Comptroller of Customs that the basis for duty on imported wheat should be the f.o.b. price, and not the rate for home consumption. The reply was, however, that it could not be done. From the importer's point of view taxation on f.o.b. prices would be preferable as making it more definite as to what the landed cost will be. Under the sliding scale system it is almost impossible for the buyer at this end to know what the wheat will actually cost when landed here. In the South the wheat yield is estimated as high as 70 bushels per acre in the West Eyreton district.

Chaff. Crop reports from Marlborough and Canterbury are to the effect that the quality of the chaff will be excellent this season. In some districts the yield of oats will be a large one. Blenheim should ! have enough chaff to carry on to the end of the year. Oats. The outlook for the oat yield in the Dominion is good. Already a large area has been cut in Canterbury, but the buik of the grain was Algerian. There is a prospect of a demand from Australia this season for Algerian oats and also A Garton. Should this take place the market may firm as there is a reduction of 70,000 acres in the areas under oats this season. In the West Eyreton district ihe yield of oats is very high, being up to 100 bushels per acre in some parts. Bran and Sharps. Absence of rain is rendering pasture very dry. It is not often Auckland has such a long spell without rain. Dairy farmers are now forced to feed the stock with bran and merchants experience difficulty in filling the orders sent in. Once the rain sets in, however, it should guarantee a good supply of green feed for the coming winter as the ground has had a gocd rest during the dry spell. Sharps are also selling very freely. As supplies cannot at present be imported from Australia, prices for bran and sharps are bound to remain firm.. Wholesale Current Prices. Sharps and Bran.—Local sharps, mill price, £8 5/ per ton; bran, £6 15/ per ton; oat pollard, £8 10/ per ton. Grain. —New Zealand oats, feed, B Gartone, 4/4; A's, 4/7 per bushel. Wheat: Australian, 9/. Maize: Ex store, 6/9 to 7/; ex wharf, 6/ to 6/3 per bushel. Barley; Feed, 5/9 per bushel; Cape seed. 7/6 per bushel. Maize meal, 15/6 per 1001b. Barley meal, 13/ per 100?b. Chaff. —Blenheim, g.b.0.5., £9 10/ per ton, ex store; Canterbury, £9 10/. Potatoes. —Talfle, new, £14 to £15 per ton, ex store.

Onions.—9/6 to 10/ per cwt,