GRAIN AND PRODUCE

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 163, 5 April 1933, Page 12

GRAIN AND PRODUCE

Christchurch Markets Dull

LITTLE CALL FOR POTATOES V, v By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, April 4. Little business is being done in potatoes and an unusual feature of the market is the continued lack of interest from the North Island, As a rule, fairly large quantities go to the North Island in March, but the quantity sent in March this year was negligible. Quotations, f.0.b., s.i„ are 55/- for April-June shipment. The value on trucks is 32/6. The price of fowl wheat has advanced jd to 2/11 a bushel, f.0.b., s.e. Fair quantities are going to the North Island. The oats market is lifeless. Partridge peas are quoted at 3/3 a bushel for A grade, with a good harvest prospect. Atumn sowing in the North Island has practically finished and consequently the demand for small seeds has diminished considerably, There is not likely to be any local demand unless there is more rain at a very early date. It would appear that the bulk of the offering of cocksfoot has been handled, as there are odd lots only coming to hand now. A similar position applies to ryegrass. Southern ryegrass is offering at a much cheaper rate than Canterbury and is taking what little business is offering. , Cowgrass is now offering fairly freely and the crop is of the finest quality known for years and of good yield" also. The value is 6d to 7d a lb on trucks according to quality. . White clover is offering slowly and 8d to lOd on trucks is the quotation. The quality is not exceptionally good. It is expected that there will be a large quantity of browntop harvested this year in Canterbury, South Canterbury and Otago. Prices are expected to be. much lower than in previous years owing to the absence of an export demand. AUCKLAND MARKETS Low Prices Ruling Dominion Special Service. Auckland, April 4. The tone of the potato market at Pukekohe shows a slight improvement, but quotations continue at the low level of 2/6 per cwt. on trucks. City shops continue to draw their supplies from suburban areas, as well as from Pukekohe, but the samples, generally speaking, are only of moderate quality. However, these suffice for the market’s needs, and so far there is little interest in quotations from the South Island. . Onions are still in plentiful supply and, as in the case with potatoes, only a limited proportion of the business goes through merchants’ hands. Values are about 6/per cwt. through store, with Pukekoae quoting 4/6 on trucks. The current price for fowl wheat is 4/6 per bushel through store, at which figure considerable business is being done. Maize prices are unaltered, Bay of Plenty at 5/3, and African crushed at 4/9 per bushel. There is no alteration in the prices of oats or chaff. Both lines are dull of sale, and low quotations fail to stimulate business. The position from the point of view of the growers must be very unsatisfactory. They are being offered from 1/- to 1/2 per bushel for oats on trucks at country stations, sacks extra.

Overseas Wheat Markets

Montreal, April 3.

Chicago Wheat.—May, 55} cents a bushel; July, 56 3-8 cents; September, 57} cents. New York, cash, 66 1-8 cents. London, April 3. Wheat. —Cargoes to-day were steady. Parcels were threepence to sixpence dearer. Futures: London, June 20/3 a quarter; September, 21/1; Liverpool, May, 4/7 1-8; July, 4/9 1-8; October, 4/11}. LIVE STOCK MARKET Waipukurau Sale Prices Dominion Special Service. Waipukurau, April 4. There was a large yarding of cattle and a small entry of sheep at Waipukurau sale to-day. The demand for cattle was easier, but fat sheep sold well. Fat cattle: 9 young P.A. cows, forward condition, £2/16/-; 5 forward P.A. bullocks, £4/5/6; 4 ditto, £4/7/6; 10 P.A. steers, £4/2/6; medium Shorthorn cow, £2; two forward Shorthorn cows, £1 15/-; 3 well-finished heifers, £3/5/-; well-finished Hereford cow, I £2/17/6; Shorthorn cow, £2/13/-; 4 small P.A. cows, good, £2/16/-; 4 Hereford P.A.cross cows, well finished, £3; 4 light P.A. steers, £3/5/-; 8 prime P.A. bullocks, £5/12/-; 8 forward P.A. cows, £2 14/-'; 8 medium Jersey cows, £l/18/6; Shorthorn-cross bullock, prime, £5/12/-; well-finished Jersey-cross heifer, £2/10/-; 6 well-finished P.A. cows and heifers, £3 9/-; 8 prime P.A. bullocks, £5/8/-. Store cattle: Ten good P.A. steers, 2 year, £2/19/-: draft forward P.A. heifers, empty. £2/11/-; 10 good P.A. bullocks, £3/18/6; 4 Shorthorn P.A.-cross bullocks, £3/17/6; 1 good P.A. steer, £3 15/-; 6 ditto. £3/10/-: 4 good 18-month Shorthorn heifers, £l/10/-; 4 18-month P.A. steers, £2/10/-: 3 young Shorthorn steers. £2; 6 fair P.A.-cross steers, £3 8/-; 14 calves, mixed breeds, 16/-; 2 young Red Poll heifers, £l/17/6; 4 yearling Hereford heifers. £l/5/-; 3 good Red Poll steers, £4; P.A. cow and calf. £l/14/-; 1 good Jersey cow, close up, £2 15/-. Fat sheep: 58 prime ewes. 6/5; 24 prime lambs, 11/6; 14 ditto, 12/-; 24 ditto, 11/7; 15 ditto, 10/6; 21 prime ewes, 7/9; 4 prime wethers, 10/9; 10 prime owes, 7/-; 5 prime lambs, 12/-; 3 ditto, 12/3; 25 medium lambs, 10/-; 79 medium ewes, 6/-. Store sheep: 407 wether lambs, Ara-’ moana Station, 8/4; 149 2-tooth wethers, Aramoana. 10/2; 11 ewe lambs, 5/6; 39 good ewe lambs, 7/-; 97 2-tooth ewes, 1.0/6; 77 good ewe lambs, 8/7; 10 medium Southdown lambs, ■ 3/9; 20 poor store ewes, 1/-; 21 good m.s. lambs, 7/-; rams, 1 medium, 10/6; 12 others, 6/-; 27 poor, 2/6. AUSTRALIAN FAT STOCK Melbourne Prices Steady Prices at the Melbourne fat stock sales last week held firm for sheep, but there was a slight easing in lamb values. Export buyers supported the market by taking 5500 sheep and 8000 lambs. The fat sheep yarded numbered 33,000 head. Prime crossbred and comeback wethers sold from 14/- to 15/6; prime crossbred hogget wethers, from 14/6 to 17/-; extra prime heavy crossbred wethers, from 16/- to 18/-; good crossbred and comeback wethers, from 12/- to 13/6; good crossbred and comeback hogget wethers, light weights, from 11/6 to 13/-; prime crossbred aged ewes, from 9/- to 10/6, a few to 12/9; good comeback and merino aged ewes, from 5/6 to 7/6; second and inferior old ewes, from 3/- to 4/6; prime station merino wethers, from 11/6 to 12/9; extra station merino wethers, from 13/- to 14/-; best local trade merino wethers, from 9/- to 10/6; good merino aged wethers, from 7/6 to 8/6; middling merino wethers, from 5/- to 6/9. The approximate quotation for best wether mutton from l}d. to 2d. a lb., with the choice of best hogget wether mutton, from 2Jd. to 2Jd. a lb.'; best heavy-weight crossbred mutton from lid. to ijd. a lb.; medium grade wether mutton, from IRI. to 14 d. a lb., with various grades of ewe mutton from 1-fil. to lid. a lb,, with two-tooth ewe mutton, from IJd. to. 2}d. a lb. Fat lambs numbered 31,000. Prime sold at from 12/6 to 13/6, with excep-