PRODUCE MARKETS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 124, 19 February 1938, Page 8 (Supplement)

PRODUCE MARKETS

Active Trading And Firm Prices Produce merchants are now busily engaged, following the midsummer slack season, of December-January. Harvests are completed or well under way for most lines and the autumn retail demand is quickening. To a large degree merchants are dealing with controlled products; more so, indeed, than any other traders in the Dominion. In consequence of this and other influences prices are steadied. Detailed notes on various lines are here given:— Potatoes. —The main supply centre this month has been Manawatu. Crops there are yielding remarkably well, 8-10 tons an acre being quite general and the quality is good. Tagged potatoes from association growers lire in demand and giving satisfaction. At the moment untagged are difficult for merchants to dispose of. Some little trouble was experienced during the very hot weather with sweating en route to Auckland. A merchant remarked that this season the railways seem to have taken twice as long as before to get produce there. No blight has been reported in Manawatu crops and samples all through have been very free from defects.

Early in the New Year the price to growers opened at £9 a ton, then eased to £S a month ago, gradually backed to £6/10/- last week and now £6 is current. Main crop digging is now in full swing and Auckland is the chief market. Shipments are also going to most other North Island centres except Wellington, which is principally supplied by Otaki and Hutt, with some Canterbury unripes. These are quoted at £6 a ton f.o.b. Lyttelton. Hawke’s Bay also is self-support-ing at present. Rangitikei crops, which follow Manawatu, are reported a quarter dug out. Ohakune main crop will be ready in about four weeks’ time, and Pukekohe’s autumn (second crop) are due in April. Tlie bulk of the North Island yields to come should average about £6 to growers. Canterbury supplies are expected to be early this season, and may be coming in volume in four weeks’ time. Forward quotations have firmed this week past by 5/- to £5 a ton f.o.b. Excellent yields are promised, but the crop could not be expected to better last season’s. Some phenomenal yields were then secured. The estimated South Island area is up 150 acres on last season’s, but that for the North Island is down 912 acres. Nothing definite can yet be reported on the prospects for South American export, but it is reasonable to expect an outlet there. There is, too, a possibility of blight lowering southern yields, these crops not having yet made full growth. A year ago,_Manawatu growers were getting. £5 to i’alo/-, o.t. Onions.—Bukekohe is furnishing the main supply at present, and on the week the price rose 10/- ton to £9. A year ago £8 was quoted, that after, export to Australia had started. It is possible that export prospects account for this present firming.

Canterbury is quoting prompts at £5 5/- ton. f.0.b., but these are not up to Bukekojie quality. They are non-keeping straw Spanish. Samples seen show the Bukekohe onions to be of splendid type. The Manawatu has a fair area, as last year, and the crop, now being harvested, looks well. Dry weather is much desired to harvest these satisfactorily. A Government announcement on onion marketing is expected next week. - Chaff.—Growers are getting around £6 15/- to £7 a ton, 0.t., in Wajrarapa and Rangitikei. The former district and Hawke’s Bay are at present providing supplies, Rangitikei not yet offering any quantity. This district’s is about as last year. Some baled straw has been sold in Rangitikei at £2/5/-, o.t. Barley.—The price of barley is determined by South Australian shipments of Chevalier, of excellent quality, and selling at 4/6 a'bushel, ex wharf Wellington. Local is worth 4/- to 4/2, for Cape feeding barley. Hawke’s Bayjjuotations were raised this week to 4/5. for good lines and 4/- for discoloured. Feed Stuffs. —The Manawatu-Oroua Pig Breeders’ Association contract for the season to come, for association pigmeal, is now in process of being let. The price determined should be announced before the end of this month. Big-meals generally are around £ll a ton at present. Pollard is practically unprocurable

from Australia is selling at £9/15/-, 0.t., Wellington. The demand is very strong. Bran is quoted at £7 a ton, ex merchants’ stores. Pure meat-meal is at £l4 a ton. Fowl wheat is at the “famine price” of 7/10 a bushel. The Government must be making a profit on this, imported from Australia. Maize is firm and comparatively cheap at 5/6 f.o.b. Gisborne.