MARKET REPORTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19496, 27 November 1926, Page 9

MARKET REPORTS.

FRUIT AND PRODUCE PRICES. Supplies of local apples were practically finished at the Auckland city markets yesterday, but there are still a few thousand cases of the Stunner variety remaining. Some cases of Commerce out of cool storage sold at 5s to 6s a case. Only a few pears were available and P. Barrvs brought 14s to 16s a case. The demand for local lemons is very poor. Gooseberries are arriving in steady supply and are meeting with a keen demand. Although plums for dessert were poor in quality stocks were soon cleared at prices ranging from 10s to 12s a case. A consignment of Cook Island tomatoes was cleared at 14s a case according to quality. The supply of Sydney oranges landed by the Maunganui on Wednesday was soon exhausted and the market will be bare of this fruit until the arrival of an Australian boat on Tuesday. There are no oranges being held in cool storage. More Sydney cherries are expected by the Maunganui. Bidding was spirited for the remaining fruit, which realised up to 24s a case according to quality. The quality of strawberries has been fairly good all the week and yesterday berries fetched from Is to Is 5d a chip. Although the vegetable market was as usual well supplied, the demand for all classes of field produce was well maintained. New potatoes were in. heavy supply but prices remained at even rates, French beans and broad beans dropped slightly in price, but green pens advanced id per lb. Cabbage and cauliflower showed a substantial rise in price and the demand increased accordingly. Competition was fairly keen for lettuce, which registered an increase in price of Is a case. The downward tendency in the price of eggs during the past few weeks was checked yesterday when a rise of id was recorded. The supply and demand for farmers' butter still keep moderate. Brisk bidding for cockerels of both heavy and light breeds took place on the poultry The former were sold at 10s 6d a bird and the latter found sale at 6s 6d to 8s 6d each. Prices for other varieties of poultry compared favourably with last week's quotations. The following prices were realised: — FRUIT. Apples.—Delicious, 4a Gd to 8s a case; Sturmers, 8a to lis; Commerce, 5s to 6s; Doughertys, 4s to 7s 6d. Peara: P. Barr.v. 11a to lGs: local lemons. 5s to 8s: hothouse grapes. 2s 6d to 3s 5d per lb: gooseberries, 7s to 9s a case; strawberries, Is to Is sd; Captain Cook strawberries. Is 9d to 2s 3d a chip; hothouse tomatoes, 6d to la -Id per lb; plums, cooking. 7s to 8s a case; dessert, 10s to l'2s a case; repack bananas, 23s to 265: Sydney oranges. ISs to 25s a case; Fiii cocoanuts. 22s 6d a sack; Cook Island tomatoes. 5s to Ms a case, according to quality: local cherries, 13s to 16s a case; Sydney cherries. 10s to 24s a case, according to quality. FIELD PRODUCE. New potatoes. 4s to 7s a bag; cabbage, 5s to 12s a sack; on benches. 2a to 4s 6d a dozen- cauliflower. 5s to 15s a sack; on benches 3d to Is Id each: lettuce. 2s to 9a a case; kumaras. 2d per lb: Canadian onions, 17s to 18s a case: spring onions, 2d to Gd a bundle: .cucumbers. 33 to 9a a dozen; green peas, 4d to 6*d per lb: French beans, Is to 13 Gd per lb: broad beans, 2!d ner lb: asparagus. Is to Is Gd a bundle: rhubarb. 2s to 3s a dozen: spinach, Is to Is Gd ft dozen: radish. Gd to Is 3d: carrots, parsnips, beet and turnips. Is to 2s a dozen bundles. DAIRY PRODUCE. Hen eggs. Is 7d to la 7&d a dozen; duck eggs, la 4}d to Is sd: farmers' butter. Is to Is lid per lb; inferior auality, 9d to lOd Per lb ' POULTRY. Cockerels, heavy, prime. 8s 6d to 10s Gd each: light prime. 6s 6d to 8s Gd; roosters. °3 6d to 3s 9d each; hens. fat. heavy. 4s to 6s Gd each: light, 3s to 4s: prune young ducks. 3s Gd to 5s Gd each: old ducks and drakes, 2s to 2s Gd. CANTERBURY MARKETS. FUTURE OF POTATOES. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] CHRISTCHURCK. Friday. The season just ending has been such a disappointing one foi' the produce trade that most of its members prefer to talk about the 1927 jfrospects. Various small seeds are still on hand and will scarcely be cleared before the new season's stuff commences to come in. There is general agreement that a further increased potato area is going in. Seed has not been so cheap for years. Good prices earlier in the season have instilled confidence in the minds of growers. The unfavourable season in Australia for early potatoes and the strong demand there at present is another factor in the larger sowings, and the probabilities of export in 1927 are considered bright. Early crops are looking well and are still being put in. A small amount of forward business was done some time ago at £4 a ton on trucks, but £3 10s is about the basis at present. There are a few white oats about, but. nobody wants them. Values are nominal, but ,4s 2d oats of a couple of. months ago are worth about 6d less now. The new season possesses anything but a rosy outlook for growers. The increasing vogue this year of the tractor 011 the farm will cause a further release of oats for market. Prices are, so far, very much in the air, but a little forward selling has taken place for Algerians, at an equivalent of 2s 6d to 2s 7d a bushel on trucks. Gartons range at about 3s. The rapid decline in the price of Australian flour has upset the local millers' prices. They had been buying fairly freely at 6s a bushel on tfucks, but today imported flour is quoted at £l2 a ton, f.o.b. Melbourne. The buying element speedily retired. Wheat crops are looking particularly well, but a lengthy spell of dry weather and freedom from rain are required to retard sti'aw growth, which otherwise may detrimentally affect the yield. The statistician's estimate of the yield, 222,000 acres, surprised most members of the trade. The general belief was that another 20,000 acres would have been sown. That belief still exists in some quarters. FROZEN MEAT VALUES, LONDON MARKET QUOTATIONS. Dalgety and Company, Limited, report having received the following cablegram from their London house* dated November 25 r—Frozen meat; New Zealand prime crossbred lamb; Canterbury, heavy 7Jd, light 9|d ; North Island, heavy 7d, light 9|d. Any change in the market is in favour of buyers. The demand is poor. New Zealand prime crossbred mutton; Canterbury, heavy 5J,d, Sight 6^d; North Island, heavy sd, light s|d. The market is weak and the demand runs principally on light weights. Quotation for New Zealand prime ox beef; Hinds 4.Jd. fores 3|d. The market is firm and the demand is better owing to the cold weather. Good average quality crossbred lamb: Australian, heavy 6' 2 d. light 9d, medium Bd. The market is tending downward and the demand is moderate. Good average quality crossbred mutton; Australian, heavy 3fd, light 4d. The demand is poor. The market is weak and looks like going lower. Pork; The market for spot, with the exception of 801b. carcases, is decidedly weaker. Quotations; Average 901b., IHd; average 1051b., 10jd; baconers, Sjd. FEILDING STOCK SALE. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] FEILDING, Friday. At the Feildlng stock sale a small yarding sheep was sold at an all round rise o; Is per head on last week's rates. The following prices were realised:—Shorn fat ewes, 14s. 17s, 19s 6d, 20s to 23a 2d: shorn fat wethers. 21s Id, 2ta 3d. 23s 4<L 23s 9d to 245; SJ.A. woolly hoggets, 22s 3d; shorn hoggets, 20s Id; shorn two-tooth wethers. 17s_ to 19s 3d. The beef yarded sold at or: increase 0/ from 30s to 40s per head. Practically no store cattle were yarded. Springing cows mado £6 and scringing heifers £3 10s. £4 to £i 15s; -Jersey heifers in milk, £6 30s; empty Hereford cows, £3 15s; good fat heifers, £9 2s 6d. £9 9s to £9 15s; lighter fat cows, £0 10s to £7 155."