FRUIT AND PRODUCE

Evening Star, Issue 21820, 8 September 1934, Page 3

FRUIT AND PRODUCE

Bray Bros. Ltd., Dunedin, report for week ended to-day:— Odd lines of milling wheat are still on offer from growers who have either delayed threshing or been holding for the higher prices ruling, under the Wheat Purchase Board scheme, for the later months. The maximum price is reached in the month of September, and it will not be long, therefore,- before all the wheat is marketed in this district. The lines submitted to the board have, of course, to be up to standard. The chief difficulty experienced in this district is an excess of moisture in the wheat. .

Fowl wheat remains firm, and shipping values have , improved 'to 3s Bd, f.o.b.- Supplies for the North Island are being drawn from Canterbury, as local values are above shipping parity. The best fowl wheat is now worth in Dunedin 3s 9d per bushel, sacks extra, ex store. A number of poor quality lines are on the market, and prices are irregular for these. ' The broken weather in this district is still. holding up the sowing of wheat. Farmers are anxious to plant spring wheat, but the state of the ground is preventing them from doing so, and this may eventually' affect the areas put down in this cereal. According to reports, Canterbury farmers are also being delayed in their sowing. ‘Millers’ prices for-flour, etc., are as follows: —Flour— 2001 b. £l3 2s, 100’s £l3 17s, 50’s £l4 2s, 25’s £l4 7s. Bran, £5 per ton. Pollard, £6 per ton. Oatmeal—2oolb £l9, 25’s £21. :: The oats market is firm following on inquiries from overseas. Up to the present, however, few sales have been recorded. Grade oats have moved up in value, and are to-day quoted on a basis of 2s 7d, f.0.b., s.i., for A’s and 2s 4d for B’s. The North Island is not responding to the firming, and actual business will, have to go through from overseas before they will be interested. The quantity of oats held is on the light side, and growers who have them for sale are asking for prices above shipping values. The quotations in the country are bn a basis of Is lOd, sacks extra, for A’s and Is 7d for B’s. There has been a good demand for seed oats. In some districts supplies are short, this applying particularly to Central Otago, and a fair-quantity of oats has been sent to this district from Dunedin. Owing to the unfavourable weather conditions at the time of threshing good seed oats are not very plentiful. ' . . There is no alteration in the chair market. Odd consignments arc still arriving from the country. The best quality truck loads is worth £3 15s per ton, sacks extra, ex truck, but most ox iho business is cflnfined to sales of small

lots ex the store at round about £4 5s per ton. Canterbury is still supplying chaff to the local market, and stocks are more than sufficient for the. demand. , ' It is now apparent that the potato market will remain dead for the remainder of the season. The stores contain far inoro potatoes than are required for immediate Consumption, and values continue low. Good sound tubers are worth from £2 15s to £3 per ton, sacks included, ex store, Dunedin. Badly-graded lines or those showing signs of growth are almost unsaleable. The shipping values in Canterbury are on the low side, the current quotations being £3 ss, f.0.b., s.i., for prompt shipment. Alb the seed markets are now firm, with a rising tendency. The demand from! overseas has had the effect of merchants putting up their values. A small quantity of ryegrass has been sold for export, but the bulk of the trade has been done in the finer seeds, such as ehewings fescue and brown top. It is expected that dogstair will also he required for overseas. The values for the fine grass seeds are much higher than has been the case for a number of years. There is not a great deal of Chewings fescue available, and the wholesale price has moved up to 2s per pound. _ Cocksfoot and clovers are also firm, with the former remaining steady at recent rates. Cowgrass has moved up to higher, values, and also have Timothy and Alsike. The second shipment of South Australian navel oranges arrived on Tuesday ex Waitaki from Melbourne. Four thousand one hundred and twenty-five cases of oranges and mandarins were landed at this port. This quantity included 900 cases for Oamaru and Timaru. The oranges landed in good condition, but some of the mandarins were showing signs of waste. The prices were fixed and -ruling the same as fox the previous shipment. The fruit was readily sought after by retailers, and is now practically out of wholesalers' hands. The Maui Pomare’s Dunedin proportion of Samoan and Niue Island bananas arrived ex rail from Lyttelton on Tuesday. The fruit arrived in excellent green condition, and there was a better inquiry than for the previous shipment. The market is fairly hare of good cooking and dessert apples, and the market should have a tendency to firm. Pears are offering in small lots. The demand is confined to choice quality. New Zealand lemons are in good supply. Poorman oranges have a better inquiry. Cucumbers are - bringing good prices. Cauliflowers are still plentiful, but the market showed a slight firming towards the end of the week. Cabbages are in good supply, and low prices are ruling. Table carrots meet a fair sale. Poor quality are very difficult to place. Choice hearted lettuce realise good prices, gwqdes are

in over-supply, and there is a good inquiry for eggs and butter, and the sale of honey is slow. Wholesale prices are as follow: Apples.—Delicious (wanted), 7s to 9s: Stunner (wanted), 6s to 8s; Jonathans (wanted), 7s to 8s; Cleopatra (wanted), 6s to 7s 6d; Wolseley, 3s 6d to ss. ■ . Pears.— Conference, 3s to 3s 6d. Winter Cole, 4s to 4s 6d; Winter Nelis, 4s to 4s 6d. .; ■ New Zealand Passions.—Wanted. New Zealand lemons (wanted), 15s to 20s. Poorman oranges (wanted), 9s to 11s. Californian lemons to /os. Californian valencias to 52s 6d. Californian grapes to 355. Californian grapefruit to 40s. South Australian navels, 16s to 235. South Australian mandarins, 24s 6d to 40s. Island oranges, 18s to 225. Pineapples, 15s to 20s. Bananas. —Ripe to 225. Cabbages, Is to 2s. Cauliflowers, 3s to 4s 6d. Carrots, 2s to 3s sugar bag. Cucumbers. Hothouse (wanted), 10s to 12s per dozen. Lettuce, Is Cd to 3s 6d per dozen, Brussel’s sprouts, 2d to 2£d per lb. Celery, 9s to 12s per dozen. • Leeks, 3s to 4s per dozen. Beetroot, Is per dozen. Potatoes, £4 to £4 10s per ton. Onions to £7 10s per ton. Pumpkins to 7s per cwt. Honey.—lib pats, 4s per dozen; section to 8s 6d per dozen; 101 b tins, ss: bulk, 4Jd to sd. • - 1 Beeswax, Is Id per lb. Fowl wheat to 4s 6d per bushel. Oats.—A Gartons, 2s 3d; B Gartous, 2s - crushed oats, 9s 6d. Dairy butter, BJd per lb. Cheese, s£d per lb. , Butter.— Dairy pats wanted. Macdonald and Miller’s Gold Medal bacon, lOd to lid. Boneless hams, Is Oid. Lard, 6)d. Kggs, market rates. Violets, is to 2s 6tl per dozen. Sol-de-orr, 5s to 6s per dozen. Creme narcissi, 4s to os per dozen. Paper whites, 3s per dozen.