GRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKETS

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25739, 26 February 1949, Page 8

GRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKETS

(By Our Commercial Editor.) An easing tendency is discernible in the small seeds markets in North Canterbury, although, in the absence of any appreciable volume of business, quotations are largely nominal. There is stiU no inquiry from overseas, and merchants say that any advices to hand from Great Britain are that prices of New Zealand produce are considered to be much too high. Meanwhile markets are extraordinarily quiet for this time of the year. No selling wave has yet developed among farmers and, in the absence of business, some members of the trade are pulling their travellers off the road. An endurance test is apparently pending and Cashel street is sitting tight. Prospects are for a good crop of browntop. In the absence of any demand from the United States and with British merchants unable to get import licences, opening prices will probably be on a lower level than last season. In the south the markets for chewings fescue and dogstail have come to much lower levels than for seme time. The crops of these two seeds are reported to be excellent. Deliveries of grain into store have been and still are held up because of the shortage of railway transport. Quotations Algerian Oats.—4s 3d to 5s 3d, according to quality; Black oats and Duns, 3s 6d to ss, according to quality; Gartons at fixed price, ss; all.prices sacks extra on trucks at growers’ stations. Wheat.—Tuscan varieties, 8s 6d a bushel f.0.b., growers’ nearest port. Premium, 2d a bushel for Hunters, 4d for Pearl and Velvet, and 6d for Marquis. Montgomery Red Clover.—3s per lb uncertified; 3s 3d standard, 3s 6d mother seed. Red Clover.—2s 3d to 2s 6d per lb; machine dressed, 98/90, for last season’s seed. White Clover.—2s 6d per lb, uncertified; 2s 9d per lb certified p.p.; 3s mother seed. Chaff.—£7 a ton on trucks, country stations, sacks extra. Lupins—Bs to 8s 6d a bushel, on trucks (sacks extra). Barley.—Main malting varieties, 6s 5c

a bushel; research and cape, 6s 2d (on trucks, sacks extra). Browntop.—2s 6d per lb certified and 2s 3d uncertified machine-dressed seed. Cocksfoot.—ls to Is 6d per lb, according to quality. Partridge Peas (contract prices).—• bushel (No. 1), 9s 6d for f.a.q.; Prussian Blue, 12s 6d (No. 1), 12s for f.a.q. Ryegrass.—Certified perennial, 98/90, mother. 15s a bushel; certified, p.p., 14s; H. 1., certified 98-90, mother 12s 6d, standard Us 6d; Italian, 98-90, mother 7s Bd, standard and uncertified 6s 6d. Linseed.—£32 a ton (on trucks, 1948 Contracts). DUNEDIN (P.A.) DUNEDIN February 25. Offerings of new season’s small seeds are becoming more general and, as a result, trading in these lines has increased, although merchants still do not know to what extent licences will be granted for their overseas sales. White clover maintained its value over the last week, but prices to-day are lower than those ruling early in the New Year. Lines of cowgrass available for prompt delivery are being sought, but values for the new season’s seed are lower. Montgomery red clover has created little interest. New season’s perennial ryegrass, short rotation ryegrass, and Italian are coming to hand for dressing, but an accurate line on average germination of these seeds has not yet been obtained. Prices are much on a par with last season’s. MINING Ngahere Gold Dredging.—The Ngahere return for the two weeks ended February 25 was 335 ounces from 100,861 yards ! worked in 226 hours.