CANTERBURY PRODUCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 260, 2 November 1935, Page 4

CANTERBURY PRODUCE.

POTATO SEASON CLOSES. FOWL WHEAT SCARCE. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Friday. Apart from an interest in fowl wheat there is very little business in the Christchurch grain and produce markets. Potatoes appear to have finished for the year, the North Island having taken no interest at all in the local market since the price first began to sag from high rates. There has been a very small quantity of business with local retailers, who have found new supplies held up-by the rain, but generally these lots have been exceedingly small and the price has been as low as the equivalent of £5 15/ per ton on trucks. There is actually no market for farmers at present and it looks as though there will be none till the new crop is available. New crop deliveries have already been dealt in to some extent, the price being equivalent to £37 10/ on trucks, or thereabouts. Pukekohe new crop is quoted this week at £17 .10/ per ton on trucks—a decline of £7 in 10 days and an indication that the northern crop is beginning to come in more heavily. Free fowl wheat is very scarce indeed, or is very firmly held and the price has risen to 4/6, and sales are reported to have been made as high as 4/8. The Board's price remains at 4/4 ,for South Island delivery, but deliveries by the Board to merchants are being made from wheat stored for some time, and merchants are not keen to acquire it. The Board has adopted a policy of delivering milling grade to consumers only to prevent holding by speculators. In October deliveries to the Board amounted to 83,000 bushels, about half of which has been absorbed by millers. The rest has been made available for feed. The small seed trade has shown a slight awakening after the rain, and fair business is being done with the country in retail lots.