GRAIN, SEED PRODUCE

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29803, 21 April 1962, Page 15

GRAIN, SEED PRODUCE

Market AJuiet After Rise

After a brief flurry of activity about three weeks ago in which stria!! seeds prices lifted sharply, the market had dropped off and was at present very quiet, the president of the North Canterbury Grain, Seed and Produce Merchants’ Association (Mr R. J. Pask) said on Thursday. White clover, w-hich had reached a peak of 5s per lb to the grower, had now .eased back by at least 4d per lb Tlie lack of trade at present could be regarded as the usual reaction to a market which had risen too quickly and the Easter holiday break. Mr Pask said, that up to 10,000 sacks of potatoes had already been shipped from Timaru to the north of the North Island and some shipping had begun through Lyttelton but at present the potato market was very quiet. Heavy supplies were reaching the North Island markets from Rangitikei, Manawatu and Pukekohe and the markets were weakening. He did not expect the main flow of potatoes north from Lyttelton to begin now for some time.

Local potato prices to the grower were not firm and nominal values at present were about £24 10s a ton for Suttons. £23 10s for Chippewas. £22 10s for Sebago and £2l 10s for other whites, excluding Epicures Digging at present was only spasmodic and quality varied. Yields were about normal but would be three to four tons an acre below last year’s bumper crops.

Mr Pask issued a warning to growers against digging potatoes too ’early. Last year many growers had lifted their crops when the tubers were immature and found trouble in keeping quality. Although the recent rains would help, potatoes really needed two or three frosts of up to eight degrees on wet ground to harden the skins and mature the tubers so that they would handle without damage and would keep well There were varying reports of the extent of moth damage in Rangitikei crops but tile position was not as bad as was generally thought. The key to the Auckland market at present was the Pukekche crops. Earlier it had been thought these

would be well down in yields, but crops were proving heavier than expected. Wheat acreages in some areas will show substantial increases ®n the basis of seed sales, Mr ask said. Amuri and Mid-Canterbury were two areas which were likely _ to show bigger acreages. In other districts increases would probably be not as great or would be about the same. Prices To Growers The following prices were quoted by Mr Pask as a guide to growers:— Ryegrass.—Mother perennial, 19s a bushel; p.p., 18s; uncertified, 12s; mother H. 1., 16s 6d; standard. 15s 6d; mother Italian. 16s 6d; standard. 15s 6d.

White Clover.—Mother 99/90, 4s 8d per lb; p.p., 4s sd; mother 98/90, 4s 6d; p.p., 4s 3d. Cowgrass.—ls 4d per lb (nominal).

Montgomery Red Clover.— Mother, 3s 3d per lb; standard.