CANTERBURY MARKETS.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20415, 9 December 1931, Page 12

CANTERBURY MARKETS.

(BT OUR COItMEECIAL JSDITOB.) . Tuesday Evening. There has been a little movement in different branches of produce.' An enquiry has set in for cocksfoot and ryegrass, due doubtless to the possibility of a smaller area being closed up, but quotations have been influenced to very little extent. Fowl wheat is firm at 5s 3d to 5s 4d, f.0.b., s.e., and it is apparent that stocks of quality fowl feed are low. A good deal of under grade fowl wheat has been sold. Next season's fowl wheat has been selling at'4s Id to 4s 2d, f.0.b., s.e. Forward potatoes are unaltered—77s 6d a ton, f.0.b., s.i., for main delivery. There is. an enquiry, for-' chaff, which has been sold at" £4 a ton, f.0.b., s.i. The oats market has shown no reflection so far of the. dry weather. Reports of. the condition of. the crop are : gloomy. Quotations. The following are quotations for pro--duce to be paid to farmers, on trucks, free of commission, sacks extra, except where otherwise stated: — Wheat—Tuscan, 5s 5d on trucks. Hunters, 5s 6d to 5s 7d. Fowl wheat, 5s 3id to 5s 4d, f.0.b., s.e. Oats —A Gartons, 2s 7d; B's, 2s sd; Algerian, 2s 6d. Barley—Capp, 2s 9d to 3s; malting, 4s. Chaff—£2 15s. Partridge Peas—4s 3d. Bed Glover —6d to 7sd. White Clover —8d to 9d. Italian Ryegrass —2s. Perennial Kyegrass—Canterbury, 3s to 3s 3d. Cocksfoot—Akaroa, 3d to 3£d. Plains, to 3d. Bran —Local, £5 a ton, f.0.b.; shipping, £4 a ton, f.o.b;; 10s extra for smaller packings. Pollard —Local, £6 a ton, f.0.b.; shipping, £4 10s a ton, f.0.b.; 10s extra for smaller packings. Flour —Wholesale price, £l6 12s 6d a ton for 2001b sacks, with the usual increments for smaller packings. ' AUCKLAND. [THE FEEB3 Special Service.] AUCKLAND, December 8. There has been little alteration in potato values since last report. The recent rains have assisted toward a better yield, and supplies seem likely to be more plentiful than was anticipated a few weeks 'igo. The quality is excellent. Pukekohe table potatoes are selling at 10s per cwt. Onions are scarce. Californian and Canadian are fetching 25s to 27s Gd per bag or crate. The wheat market has firmed, and the local price has advanced to 6s 3d per bushel. Maize is selling fairly well, cx store, at 5s Gd per bushel. The market for oats and chaff is quiet, with prices unaltered.' ' Stocks of .barley aro light.. Fe«.d undipped is selling at Ks O<T, clipped at 4s, and seed Cape, barley at 6s' per bushel. . Tho demand for bran.and pollard light,. Merchants' prices are: Australian pollard £6 Es, brtvn £o 15s. BUSINESS STATISTICS. MONTHLY REVIEW. Although, compared with the experience of even twelve months ago, business conditions in the Dominion are somewhat discouraging, signs are not wanting of an evident improvement over more recent months, says the November Abstract of Statistics. The statistics of bank debits indicate some recovery of; interna] trade, especially when cognise iiuee is taken o ( f the depreciatory in-, fiuence of a lower level of wages and prices upon any monetary measure of the volume of business transacted. Confidence is still lacking as regards outside investments, however, the ratio of free to fixed deposits showing no cessation from the now long-established downward trend. Overseas trade'conditions, were fairly stagnant, the export season, 'of course, having barely begun. Increased' duties and adverse exchange rates have had ; their influence-upon the considerable restriction in the import trade observed lately, and this has had the; effect of gradually lessening the adverse trade balance experienced in recent months, which now stands at £230,000 for October, as compared . with. £650,000 for September (allowance having been'made for the exchange anomaly "by converting imports into terms of Now Zealand currency). For tho cumulative period of ten months, the Dominion shows a favourable visible trade, balance of approximately £6,500,000,"( expressed in' New Zealand currency)./The principal item of interest as regards the dairy industry is the siid•den recovery of cheese, the total output for which practically wiped out the deficit from the previous year recorded in earlier months. The London market reports, however, indicate a weakened market as regards both butter and cheese. Financial circles also report a slight stimulation of activity, especially as regards the registration of mortgages. Railway transport, considering the customary slackness of traffic at this time of the year, compares not unfavourably with last year. Operating expenditure decreased more than revenue from a similar period of 1930, but the period covered is hardly sufficient to measure any results of the recent reduction in passenger fares. Shipping Was comparatively slack during the month, although overseas shipping picked-up slightly. This was more than countered, however, by a falling-off in the volume of cargo conveyed by coastal vessels. The building industry sank to the lowest level so far experienced, and this was reflected in the greatly restricted activities of the State Advances Department. Comparatively little movement occurred in the various groups of wholesale price-index numbers. Marriage statistics reveal the effect of the depressed conditions and decreased spending-power of society as a whole. DAIRY PRODUCE. GRADING FIGURES. (rncs.l association tslboeau) WELLINGTON, December 8. Grading figures of the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture for the four months ended November, 1931, show fin increase for butter of 7.36 per cent, at 38,106 tons, compared with 35,491 tons in the same period last year; and for cheese a decrease of 9.66 per cent, at 25,028 tons, compared with 27,447 tons in the corresponding period last year. Reduced to terms of butter-fat equivalent there is an increase to date over last season of 3.85 per cent. Concerns merchandising products of good quality can develop the unparalleled sales opportunities in Canterbury most effectively and most economically through the advertising columns of Thjb Press. —6