MARKETS AT A GLANCE

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 266, 9 November 1937, Page 4

MARKETS AT A GLANCE

GOOD WHOLESALE TRADING.

HARDWARE TRADE ACTIVE. BULK CORNFLOUR ARRIVING. "Auckland Star" Office, Tuesdaj-, November 9, 1987. Wholesale grocery distributors are still experiencing oxcellent business, and there seems no doubt that with the holiday seaeon fast approaching that the retail are fast getting into the full, ewing of their summer trade. Hardware merchants also report very active trading in all departments, some substantial business being transacted for both prompt and forward shipment. General News. Merchants are becoming rather anxious re the delivery of a number of indent requirements placed some time ago, owing to the reported difficulty of obtaining adequate shipping space at point of shipment. It is quite definite that shipping apace is not over plentiful, with the result that supplies that are coming forward of certain commodities are totally insufficient to cover business already placed. This applies particularly to consignments of Australian canned fruit and ako to Californian. The trade are still waiting on certain overseas shipments of nute, and these are expected to arrive shortly. An exceedingly heavy demand lias been noticed on .certain grades of prunes, with the result that a number of merchants are temporarily in short supply. It is evident from the good sales of ordinary bulk dates now being experienced that the trade will be com.pl< tely cleaned up of all stock well before the arrival of the first shipment. These have been selling in place of loose pack, which have been sold out for some time. The first shipment of new season's asparagus expected to arrive a few days ago unfortunately did not come to hand, being left behind owing to lack of shipping space. The drst consignment of English bulk cornflour to arrive at tjhe new low rate ia expected to land within the next few days. The retail and merchants generally have been holding off pending this arrival. Owing to the high cost of labour and all commodities in connection' with the re-pack of assorted nuts and other Christmas packings, selling prices of these lines are likely to show a considerable advance over thoseh-of last year. Supplier of Australian tropical fruit salad are now to hand and are meeting with a keen demand. In view of the popularity of this pack in previous seasons, it might be of advantage to the retail trade to review their stock position so that they tjan lay in sufficient to carry them over tl a peak Christmas demand. In view of the steady increase in the sale of fruit juices, particularly orange, grapefruit and pineapple, small stocks of which came to hand recently, have been practically cleaned up. In America the public have become what is called "juiceminded." and one of the results of the heavy sales of juices has been the serious decline in sales of quite a number of varieties of dried fruit. An advance cf 2/ per case has been announced for a further brand of condensed milk. This is in addition to the advances in otli?r lines effective last week. Several new brands of cigarettes are being offered to the trade thie week, and a new brand of pine tobacco flake cut in 2oz tins, both light and dark. This tobacco is the first New Zealand toasted tobacco to be offered in the popular flake cut form, and Tilth the heavy advertising being released should quickly become a ready seller at the popular retail pj-ice of •1/8 per tin. ; '&,-* Canned fruit in the smaller ..sized tins has been very short, anij stocks are exhausted in some quarters. The smaller sizes on account of their convenience have become much more popular in the last (cw seasons, .ind the demand still appears to be growing.

Stocks of Canadian onions are rapidly being cleaned up, and the arrival of the last shipment, due on the 15th instant, ie being eagerly awaited. Prices remain firm at 20 per baß ex store or ex ship. Arrivals to Hand from overseas during the jm*t week comprise consignments of grape juice, Catyfornian table salt in both plain and iodised packing!*. Californian j herrings in tomato β-iuce. powdered J gelatine, baking powder, malt extract. ! : eugnr of milk, proprietary brand tea, j iniindry soap, boot polish, bath cleaner. j galvanised buc-ket.o, medicinal emulsion. I chemists' Sundries, w,ix matches, safety matches, cigarettes and tobacco, canned peachep, currants and sul'a.ias, Lcxia raisins in packets, apricots Ifour and fivccrown). canned peas. Australian tine salt, orange juice, dried peaches, prunes in various sizes. Tea Report. A mail report from Colombo dated October 7 states that on account of the tea trade holiday only three auctions were held during September. Supplies, which amounted to G,."i74.9081b. were normal for the time of the year. Common teas were in strong demand at all three auctions, an advance of Vid per lb on the 14th being fully maintained. United Kingdom blenders were good supporters of these i grades, particularly of teas for "price."! whilst black l.?af well-made kinds received attention from Persian Gulf operators. Bndulla quality showed a marked falling off, and prices were proportionately lower, but very useful quality was available from Dimbula. Dickoya and M;mki_'liya. The latter broken Orange Pekoes opened strongly, but prices declined towards the end of the first auction, and en the 21st a lack of ord«?re brought about a decline of ttd to 94d per lb. This, however, attracted large buying ordere. and prices recovered fully at the following auction. Good quality Pekoes commanded full prices at all sales on account of active American competition. It would appear from estate musters that there will be a short spell of brighter quality teas from Dimbula and neighbouring districts, but this ie likely to be short-lived, as rainstorms have recently been prevalent throughout the island. Aβ a result of the latter, more liberal supplies will be arriving on the local market, but crops are unlikely to be very heavy, lack of sun having to some extent counteracted the effect* of rain. Shipments to the United Kingdom from August 14 to September 16 were heavier than usual, a corresponding decrease being shown in the shipments to other markets. Exchange was unchanged. Canned Green Pea.. The temporary shortage of bofh sizes of a popular Australian pack of canned peas was relieved to a certain extent by a small shipment that arrived Jaet week. Further shipments of contract bookings came forward by the Wanganella. which arrived to-day, and these should look after the local requirements until the new season's pack is ready. Advice to hand by last week's mail states that the crops are well forward, having benefited considerably by the heavy, rains around Melbourne. The packers anticipate that packing operations will commence about the middle of November, providing a spell of cold weather is not experienced, in which case the growth of the crops would be retarded about ten days. Alaskan Salmon. Mail advices recently to hand from a large packer and distributor in Seattle, ' Washington, state that not until the date \ of writing had it been possible to gather,' ' fairly accurate figures on the Alaskan canned salmon pack for 1937. Official figures will not be obtained and released for some time to come. Meanwhile the 1937 pack figures tabulated below may be accepted ae correct to within a compare-1, tively few caees, and. of course, subject I' to small additions to Chums from a very I few autumn packing operations in Alaska. I

Below are eubmitted the total Alaska packe, segregated by varieties, for the yeare 1937, 1936 and 1935; ako the five-year average by variety and total. A careful etudy of theee figures will be of interest to brokers, and in turn to their buyers. „ Fiv«-year 1937. 10-36. 1035. Average. Kings— Reds— 69 ' 387 57 - 908 36,475 50,029 2,070,915 2,482,555 823,175 1,995,028 Cohoes— Pinks-? 8 ' 302 218,232 188,918 148,618 ' 3.">77,203 4,589,270 3,254,028 3,464,304 Chums— 646,689 1,100,983 852,730 751,595

j The tabulation diedoeeu that the total , pack for 1987, although 2,000,000 taeee lees than last year's production, is almost identical with the five-year average. The Bristol Bay area actually produced thie i year 63,594 caeee of Rede more than were packed in that district last year, but the total pack of Rede for all Alaska thie year k 402,640 caeee lees than the 1936 total. The Red shortage thie eeaeon wae confined entirely to the areae commencing with the eouth eide of the Alaska Penineula through to and including Ketchikan district and South-eaetern Alaeka. It is from the latter areas that the great bulk of Rede for buyons , labek i« annually obtained, hence a natural shortage of Red ealmon available this year for buyers' brands. Before attempting a further comparison of the annual and average pack fiffuree given above it will be well to keep in mind the fact that the 1936 canned ealmon carry-over into 1937 was comparatively small, only 199,355 caeee, all varieties, whereae from the 1935 production there w% carried over into 1936 a total of 868,141 caeee. The carry-over fisuree are given ae of July 1 each' year. The average annual carry-over for a period of five yeare has been 730,344 caeee. The eerious shortages ahead ae they relate to ealee are in Cohoee, Pinks and Ohume— Pinks even though the output this year stands 113,000 caeee higher than the fiveyear average. In 1936 4,589,270 caeee of Pinks were produced, to which had to be added a carry-over of 480,236 cases or a total of 5,070.658 eases, which is in comparison with the total pack this year of 3,577.203 caeee, plus a carry-over of only 47,270 cases or a total of 3,824,473 cases. In other words, the pack shortage thie year compared with last year, pack and carry-over for each period, stands at 1,446,185 ctusem.

Dried Fr«lt. There appears likely to be a eerioue shortage in Australian dried peaches for next season. Most buyers have covered subject to buyers' approval of pncee when named, but a number of Australian firms have already refused to accept further orders, their total production being fully booked. Shelled Brazil Nuts. There has been a further decline of Id per lb in shelled Brazils, according to latest cables received. Holders are evidently endeavouring to clear their stocks before new season's crop is available for shipment next February. Madagascar Butter Beans. A sharp drop has taken place in quotations for Madagascar butter beans for shipment December-February. Aβ most local booking was completed some months ago the majority of merchants will not be able to avail themselves of the present offers. Wholesale Current Prices. Butter.—Finest grade, 1/2% per Ib; first grade factory, 1/2%; second grade factory. 1/1%; whey, 1/1%. Cheese.—Export (80's), crate lot*, B\d per lb net, less 9d per lb net; medium (40 s). crate lots. 9d per Ib net, less 9%d per Ib net: (20'e), crate lots, 9%d per lb net, less 9\d per lb net: loaf crate lots lOd per lb rat, lees 10% d per lb net. Bacon—Ham. 1/2 per lb: rolled boneleeß ham, 1/4 per lb; cooked whole ham, 1/6 per Ib; cooked rolled ham. 2/ per lb: cooked pressed ham. 1/9 per lb: bacon «ide«. 1/0% per lb; rolled sidea, 1/2% per lb: rolled middles. 1>3% per lb: lard, bulk 8d per lb. pate 9d per lb; dripping, pate, 4%d per lb. Linseed.—Crushed, 23/fl per 1001b; whole, 23 6 per cwt. Flour.—Local, 2001b sacks, £14 15'6 per ton: 100s. £15 12/6;' S O ,*, £15 17'625? i P« Vβ: 12% V. £17:'6V#. £lf 13,6'. 11/3 per boUfel; VhW white. 11/ per bushel; whole black, 12/6 per bushel. Bluestone.—43/6 per cwt.