GRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10269, 11 February 1899, Page 6

GRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

-__■. (BY OUR COMMERCIAL EDITOR.) Friday Evening. The "Corn Trade News," in a recent issue, .states that the total breadstuffs (wheat and rye) supply of the world N in 1898 was 509,000,000 quarters, 1897 434,000,000 quarters, 1896 454,000,000 quarters, 1895 469,000,000 quarters, and 1894 502,000,000" quarters. Tho total supply of feeding stuffs, maize, oats, and barley for 1898 was 732,000,000 quarters, 1897 644,000,000 quarters, 1896 739,000,G00 quarters, 1895 742,000,000 quarters, and for 1894 594,000,000 quarters. From these figures it will be seen that th© total crop of breadstuffs in 1898 was 75,000,000 quarters larger thin «he gieai yield of 1894. Taking Jl the crops together, the yield of 1898 exceeds thafc of the largest of former years, 1895, by 40,000,000 quarters. The export of : wheat from Victoria and South Australia is proceeding briskly, and steamers are now being engaged, together .with sailers, to carry wheat to the United Kingdom. The most recently reported fixture of a steamer is the Port Chalmers, to carry about 6000 tons of wheat from Melbourne, for which 37s 6d has been paid, with options. Steam rates for parcels range from 32s 6d to 355. A further number of sailers have been chartered at 28s 9d to 30s to load at Adelaide for the United Kingdom. Several vessels have been engaged to load wheat at Lyttelton for direct ports at and in one case 32s 6d will be paid. The English market is now, a matter of great interest to wheat growers and merchants, since it once more directly'influences local values, but until the shipping business has fairly begun the fluctuations do not have the weight that they will assume later on. Consequently, while wheat was this week reported to be ls lower at Mark Lane, the decline has not yet appreciably affected values here. There is no business doing in old wheat, but new is beginning to change bands more freely. Sales of fairly large lines of Hunter's have been made at 2s Id at a country station, equal to 2s 2|d on board. A sale of about one hundred saclrs of prime Tuscan is also reported at a price that should net the grower within a fraction of 2s 5d," f.q.b. Duns form the bulk of the new oats now offering, and sales of these have taken place at ls Id to ls 2d at country stations. Short feed are worth about 2s 4_d to 2s sd, and Canadians 2s 6d, f.0.b., respectively, sales having been effected on the bases of these values. The barley coming forward is only medium in quality, and is worth from 2s 6d to 2s 9d, f.0.b., the offerings at present not being very large. The fall in the Sydney market has depressed the values of early varieties of potatoes, and merchants are. now not inclined to do business for export until the market recovers. The heavy shipments of Circular Heads from. Tasmania, 10,000 sacks having been lately received in Sydney by one boat, have practically glutted the market. A Christchurch merchant lias bought a fairly large line of Derwents, for delivery in March, at a southern port at 455, f.o.b. The following are current prices paid to farmers, f.0.b., Lyttelton, for direct ship-" ment from country stations and free of commission, except where otherwise specified: — Old wheat (nominal) —Good to prime quality pearl and Tuscan 2s 9d to 2s lOd, Tuscan 2s" 9d to 2s lOd, Hunter's 2s 5d to 2s 6d, second quality about 3d lower, new wheat 2s Id to 2s 3d at country stations. New Oats—Canadians Is 4d, short feed ls 2d to ls 3d, Duns Is Id to Is 2d, at country stations. Barky—New, 2a od to 3s delivered. Beans (nominal). " Peas— Blue Prussians 4s, partridge or maple 3s 3d to 3s 6d. Flour (miller-' quotations, nominal)—Roller £8, stone £7. Sharps—£3. , Bran—£2 10s Oatmeal—£l2. Old Oatsheaf Chaff (nominal) —55s ; new 355, at country station*. i PoUtoea—Early varietUj* nominal, Dar-

I went* 30s, off forks, April—May delivery. ' at country stations. Grass-Seed—Ryegrass, farmers' lots ls 6d to 2s 6d * cocksfoot 2_d for off colour, 2sd for bright; clovers nominal. Dairy Produce—Cheese, factory. 4d to 4 id, ' "loaf -Hd to sd: butter, factory (local) 9d, dairy 6d to 7d, salt (in boxes) 5d to 6d; bacon 7d, do roll 7d to 7_d; hams 8d; factory bacon and ham id higher. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TKT_GG-KAM*. INVERCARGILL, February 10. The oat market is still depressed, and there are no prospects of improving prices now, as Canterbury is offering at prices equivalent to Southland farmers, at sidings, of Is 2d to ,1s 3d, sacks extra. It is expected there will be 125.000 sacks more than in last season in this distriot, and that the market for the new crop will open at ls to ls 2d per bushel.