Produce, Poultry and Pigs

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 168, 17 July 1937, Page 9

Produce, Poultry and Pigs

The Dominion Auctioneering Coy., Palmerston North, reports as follows: Decided improvement in the price of fruit was in evidence during the week and good quality fruit was in keen demand. A good supply of vegetables came forward and the price was firm at last week’s rates. Poultry is still in demand, and a largo entry was l J cleared at prices in favour of vendors. • j Pigs were in great demand and a large > ! entry was cleared at very satisfactory • ' prices. There was a particularly keen : demand for best quality pig. Quota- ; lions are as follows: H Fruit: Oranges, 20s to 25s per case; 1 . lemons, 20s to 26s 6d per case, others -1 from 14s to 18s; pears, Winter Coles ! 8s 6d to 11s 6d per J-case, cooking pears ■ 7s to 8s 6d per 2-case; apples, Delicious •: 7s 6d to 9s 6d per bushel, Ballarats > Gs 9d to 8s Gd per bushel, Stunners , 5s 6d to 8s 3d per bushel, Granny j Smiths 8s to 9s 6d per bushel, Dougher- j ) ties 6s to ?5b 6d per bushel, Washingtons i . 5s 6d to 7s 6d per bushel; hot-house j » tomatoes, Is to Is 2d per lb.; Chinese j : gooseberries, 5s per 2-case; parsnips, 3s j rto 14s per bag; rhtibarb, 7s to 9s per j ■ | dozen; cauliflower, 6s 4d to 10s 6d per; 1 bag, 12s to 16s per sack; cabbage, 3s » to 8s per sack; spinach, 7s to 10s per . lease; pumpkins, 14s to ISs 6d per sack; ■ 'onions, 5s to 10s 6d per cental; marrows, I lOd to Is each; lettuce, 5s to 12s Cd 1 per case; kumeras, 7s to 9d per bag; ; I carrots, 3s to 4s 6d per bag; celery, Is 1 to 17s per case; beetroot, Is to 2s per 1 dozen. Poultry: Heavy cockerels, 7s to 9s , per pair, light breeds 6s to 7s 6d per ■ pair; fat roosters, 6s to 7s 6d per pair; light roosters, 4s 6d to 7s 6d per pair;" . fat 8.0. hens, 7s to 8s per pair; W.L. ; hens, 6s to 6s 6d per pair; light hens, 4s to 5s 10d per pair; ducks, 6s to 7s , | per pair; light ducks, os to 6s per pair; I turkey hens, 5s each. Pigs: Small wean era, 8s to 11s each; Dest weaners, up to 16s each; slips, 16s to ISs each; stores, up to 25s each; ■ light porkers, up to 30s each; sow and litter, 5. panics to get together and come- to an agreement as to districts they would operate in? he asked. 1 Mr Skoglund said he did not want to 1 discuss that aspect at this meeting. The Exporters’ Case Mr Hastings, representing the P.M.A., [ pointed out the many factors influencing 1 the cost of cartage. The "connection” j of the firm for which a man carted was a very material factor, giving him largo 1 or small loads. Some of the operators 1 also carted for the one firm all tho year , round and when not dealing with calves picked up other stock, so that losses ou calves were made up in other directions, j ■ Mr Hastings also stressed that the' , attractive price offered for calfskins at; present might induce farmers to do their 1 > own skinning should the cost of cartage igo too high, in fixing a price, the trans- j port authority should also fix the day j ou which the lorries should start operat- J ‘ ing, thus eliminating the unprofitable , periods. It should also not be forgotten I - that tho cash at the gate system did | : away with administration overhead and ‘ office costs. A lot ot time wasted at the ' farmers’ gate would be saved if the ■ carriers carried out the instructions of ! tho companies and paid tho price told J them instead of conducting a sort of • auction with the farmei because another ■ carried had previously offered more. Mr Skoglund: In that case a carrier 1 might go around and not pick up a calf. 1 ! Tho evil is with the firms who uccept » what these carriers do. l | Mr Bearsley (Palmerston North) ro--1 marked that with the cash at tho gate 1 system a carrier would often cut his " cartage cost and pay tho farmer more - for his animals rather than lose them. ‘ I Mr Pettigrew (Patea Freezing Com--1 pany) said his figures revealed that > running costs had been lOd and the carI riers had been paid Is. > j Mr Wilson, speaking on behalf of the ' j Wairarapa Y'eal Society, said that as L i the result of the operations of his j organisation, costs were the lowest in ■ the Island, about B.SOd. His organisal ! tion had resulted in tho elimination of t overlapping and other evils. 51 J. C. Hutton’s representative (Mr • j Powdrell) pointed out that the different ’ methods adopted by the companies were • factors affecting costs. In fixing tho ■ 1 price, tho authority should deal with each district separately, as in quite a ' • number of localities the carriers were - J satisfied. • Mr Knight (W. and R. Fletcher, Ltd.) said tho buying companies were in I agreement that there should be an in--1 crease to compensate for higher costs, j ■ j but each district should be dealt with j 'on its merits. The exporters thought a ' 25 per cent, increase sufficient and so i were prepared to give Is 3d. j Mr Hastings said Is 3d was an acceptable rate in the. Waikato. | Mr Skoglund advised that for tho j 1935 season the cartage of calves had ; j worked out at tho following prices:— 19 per cent, at 9d, 3 per cent, at lOd, jlj per cent, at lid, 58 per cent at Is, j 62 per cent at Is Id, 6.04 per cent, at lls 2d, 7.46 pr cent, at Is 3d, .24 per •cent, at Is 4d, and 4.08 per cent, at 1 Is 6d. ' j Mr Matthews (Pahiatua) agreed that zoning would be the only remedy, as 1 costs went up with the increase in competition. I Mr McDowali thought all that had ■ been said by the buyers’ representatives i only reinforced the case for tho carrier. It was an extradorinary state of affairs » if the sheepfarmer had to pay the carter a profit on his lamb carting to make up , a loss on calf carting. In other words, - it was a subsidy from the sheepfarmer to the dairy farmer. The carrier had • j been tho victim of circumstances and ■ ; tho exporting firms called the tune all i the time. As regards payments at the ,'gate, it would bo much cheaper to em* . ipioy an office girl to send out cheques ; than waste a lorry drHcr’s time. How- • lever, one of the greatest evils was the 1 | competition of the firms, each striving ; to give more than tho other. I 1 Mr Skoglund: But the farmer likes I competition. | Mr McDowali said a universal price would not solve the problem owing to i the way the cow population varied in ; different districts and geographical obstacles. II Mr Skoglund said the variation had already been allowed for and any new , price would just have to be a percentage increaso over past charges. Decision was reserved.