CANTERBURY MARKETS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18195, 4 October 1924, Page 10

CANTERBURY MARKETS.

("T-OTTE COMMERCIAL IDITOB ) Friday Evening. The high tension interest which has featured iho pota'o market, fur rac&t of the year is commencing to 53£. The season is about over, and even if a, jump in values should occur, it can onJy be short, lived. During the week the Kawatiri arrived in Auckland with a consignment of about. SCO tons, and it is unlikely that, future Auckland needs from the south will ho heavy. The "Wanaka. left Lyttelton during the week with 2!XX) sacks, about, evenly dirided for Auckland and East. Coast ports. However, in spite of the brief balance of the season to come, there has been a shade of improvement, in this market, and sales for both prompt and October delivery have been made during; t.he week at, £6 10s, f.0.b., s.i.. Values today are £6 ss. One line of Dakotas. comprising 20 tons, was sold at £5 on trucks, but offers generally arc. light. It is the general impression th:it it oversellors are called upon to find potatoes at the end of the month they may have difficulty. On the other hand if buyers secure deliveries they may not knOT* what to do with them. In "the "end, therefore, much of the paper business that has been taking place- may end in cancellation. Quotations to-day to growers are £5 on trucks. It has been a remarkable year, it may produce another spasm of life before the curtain is rung down, but it has been a most unsatisfactory one for the legitimate trader. Much good money has been lost—and won for that matter —and the plunging element has gained some ripe experience. It is certain that but for the excess crops and cheap price in Victoria-, Canterbury potatoes would have s«en a very high price. It is certainly unlikely that Victoria will have such an excess next year. Apropos of the position at present, a Tasmanian writer as late as September 20th had the following paragraph in a Melbourne paper: — '•'Merchants are'complaining of a. glut in potatoes. The position has become acute. Sales are very limited, and all the stores are-full. Prices have fallen, and there is only a limited export demand for Sydney, whilst none are being shipped to Victoria,. where there is also a glut. This is a. serious position for the growers, who have not had a, good timo this year. There are still considerable areas of potatoes undug in this State, and as the price is very low. it is probable that smaller areas will be planted than usual."' Chaff is very firm, farmers being paid from £7 12s 6d to -£7 15s on trucks, according to station. Oats are very quiet, for the reason principally that there are very few about. Cowgrass still maintains the hulk of interest irt the seed market, but there is very ljttlfe doing except for best coloured stuff suitable for export. Even this trade is inclined to be quieter. The following are the quotations to be paid to farmers at country stations, free of commission, sacks extra-, except where otherwise stated : Wheat—Tuscan os 6}d, Hunters, 5s 7id, Pearl 5s 9 id, f.o.b. Lvtt.elton. Fowl wheat, (nominal) —6s f.o.b. Chaff —£7. ]2s 6d. Oats —B Cartons os 6d. White Clover—ls 4d to Is 6<l. Cowgrass—Sid to lOd. Partridge Peafi —5s 9d to 6s. Italian Ryegrass—6s. Perennial Ryegrass—6s. Cocksfoot—Bd to 9d. Linseed—£l7 15s. Barley—os. Potatoes—-£5 to £5 2s 6d for whites, £4'lss for Dakotas. Flour —£15 10g a ton. Pollard—£6 10s f.o.b. main ports; 10s extra for smaller packing. Bran— per ton f.o.b. main ports; 10s x extra for smaller packing. POULTRY AND EGGS. The market was well supplied with poultry this vreek, bnt again the supply was not equal 1 to the demand, and so high' prices once more ruled. Quotations iper pair as follows: —Table chickens. 8s to. 17s, hens 6s to 10s, pullets Ss to . 13s;- dncks 6s to 9s; geese 7s to 9s; turkeys lss to 425. Another large shipment of eggs, for London was sent away by the Rotorua this week, This has had the effect of keeping stocks down to normal. The Canterbury Co-operative Poultry Producers, Limited, quote the following price 3 per dozen for "chain" • brand eggs:—First, grade hen eggs la ' 4d, second grade Is 3d. ASHBURTON MAKKET. (r&Otf OTTE . OTTS COBJUSSPOHDIST.) October 3. Fowl -Wheat—There is Tory little business doing in this line, owing to supplies being very short. Odd lines are being offered to merchants at prices ranging from 5s 9d to 6g 3d per bushel, on truclsß, according to quality. Oats—The market is quiet and there in very little offering. Thero is an odd enquiry for feed purposes. B grade Cartons arc worth, 6s l~fl per bushel, f.0.b., s.i. Algerians arc practically off the market.,. tlio nominal value, being 5s 6d per bushel. Chaff—Thero is a. good demand for chaff, but supplies aire short. Tho cutters have finished their round for the season, and any stacks that aro now being cut. aro for the farmers' own requirements. Quotations for good bright a.wj from £7 7s 6d to £7 12s 6d on trucks. Straw chaff is being retailed to farmers at aborat £4 per ton for good quality. Cowgrass—The improvement, reported in cowgraes has been maintained, and vaJnea have firmed slightly. The price to growers is 8d to lOd ; per lb, according to quality. Contrary to expectations, the recent rain had not. the effect of stimulating eaJefl of gTass eeed, and most of the merchant® arc carrying- fairly heavy stocks. Continental enquiries for clovers ha-r© been taken advantu-ge of by merchants, who were holding quantities of eeed, resulting in an increase of value of farmers' dressed linen. White clover is Belling at from la 3d to Is 6d per lb, the latter price for exceptionally cle-m q-uabty. Potatoes—This market, ha® continued its usual trend* and has again gone back owing to a further shipment of Australian potatoes having larded m Auckland from Tasmania Values to-day are nominally £4 ISg f 0 £g _ 6r ton for white®, and from £4 5s to £4 10s for Dakotas. Dakota, seed are in good demand for local requirement®, and are Wv hard to procure, while white s °ed ik neglected. " TIMARIT. (special to "the p&xss.") _ TIMARU, October 3 Business is still quiet in the rrain and produce market, and there is litt-lo to roporL The price of wheat, will be affected bv tho Government s decision to allow merchants to import supplies duty freo. fhs fowl wheat market is easier, owing to the release for feed purposes of about 90,000 bushele held by the Government for milling. Oats and chaff are also ea-aier since the recent rains, which caused the green feed and grass to ccane away. There is a good . demand for grass seed and clover. Cowgrass hae improved in pnee by ljd to 2d per lb during the past fortnight, owing to reports of damage to the Home crops. Linseed is meeting with a good enquirv, and is quoted at £l7 to farmers for f.a.q." Potatoes are slightly easier, and tables are quoted at about £5 10s. There is a big demand for seed this year, and evidently large areas of potatoes are going in. After being dull for the past few months, number ono grade • peas are in better enquiry for shipment. Home, I