TRADE OF THE WEEK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20867, 8 May 1931, Page 7

TRADE OF THE WEEK.

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL. POTATOES CHEAPEST FOR YEARS PRODUCE MARKETS REVIEW. Prices for a number of (he more important lines of grain, seed and produce have touched the lowest levels for many years during the past week or so. Abundant harvests, combined with a tendency on the part of the farmer to convert his produco into cash as soon as possible, have mostly been responsible for tljo lower prices. The produce market, generally, is very quiet, showing littlo strength in any direction. There is a steady demand from the consuming public for most of the bigger-sailing lines. Merchandise houses report steady trading in plain foodstuffs. The colder weather of the past day or so has tended to keep many people inuoors and many of the city stores handling non-essential lines have not experienced quite their normal trading activity. In shipping circles most overseas vessels continue to arrive with under normal cargoes, quite an appreciable percentage of the produce vessels carrying ballast. The Corinthic, from London and Southampton ports, this week, carried a miscellaneous assortment of general cargo with practically no item of any quantity on the manifest, apart from fertilisers. The vessel carried a small quantity of basic slag, kainit, potash and Tunisian phosphates. There was also a fair quantity of English salt on board. The Westmoreland is due from West Coast of England ports to-morrow. The Kaimanawa from the south this week brought a rather heavy shipment of potatoes and wheat. The Waipiata brought beech timber, oats, paper and paper bags, preserved milk, flour, breakfast foods and linseed, among other items of miscellaneous cargo. FLAX. The market for flax continues rather auiet. with only odd inquiries coming to hand. Comparatively heavy stocks are held m Auckland. Stocks of tow are practically exhausted as a result of the limited t>roduction over the past season, and unless more mills start producing at an early date New Zealand upholsterers will be called upon to look for a substitute. KAURI GUM. The brighter tone of the past ueek or two in kauri gum circles continues nnc. arrangements arc now being made for the shipment of many orders which have been hung up for several months. Another hopeful factor about the situation is the tentative inquiries boing revived from manufacturers who have contracts expinnc. *> POTATOES. The spot potato markot is heavily supplied and through store prices have not been so low for southern notatcss . far many years A large number of consignments are boing sent jp from the to bo practically thrown on the market here at the buyers' price. Good table .potatoes are being offered to the "nail storekeeper on the wharf at £5 10s a ton. and through store at around £6 a ton. Tbeie <h little strength in the markot in the soutU and indications are that there will be aniDle supplies available from there for some time tO ' Come ' ONIONS.

The Auckland market is well supplied with onions, both Southern and Melbourne being available-. Auckland merchants are asking around £7 10s to £8 a ton through slore. according to the size of the order. Further quantities are expected from Australia at an early date and regular shipments are being made from' the boutn. OATS. The oat- market is very firm, principally because of the unfavourable harvest in Southland this year. Auckland merchants are asking around 3s lid a bushel through store for B Cartons. A Gartons are selling at around 4s Id through store. WHEAT, The market for wheat is also very firm, with stocks of " free" and under grade getting into smaller and smaller compass. Merchants are asking from Gs Od to 7s a bushel for good wholo fowlwheat on th o spot. There is still a quantity of ungraded wheat eelling at up to 6d a bushel below graded. MAjIZE. Most of the maize business of the province is now being done through Auckland. Stocks in the Bay of Plenty have been practically exhausted and there is very little available for direct railing to South Auckland storekeepers. The demand is being supplied through Auckland wi i h South African and Gisborno maize. Tne Narbada this week-end is expected to bring a small quantity of Java maize, but very little is oeing said about this shipment until something definite is known about its condition and quality. Through store, merchants are asking around 5s 9d to 5s lOd a bushel for small parcels.

CHAFF. Tho market for chaff is rather weak in the 'South following a good harvest and through storef prices in' Auckland are on the • lowest levels for many years. Good bright Blenheim chaff is polling through store at from £7 10s to £8 a ton. according. to quantity. , BARLEY. Stocks of barley were supplemented this week by the arrival of a large shipment from South Australia. Machine-dressed end clipped barley is meeting with a steady sale through Auckland stores at around 4s a bushel. BRAN AND POLLARD. More attention is now being paid to bran and pollard, the demand from, stock feeders for both commodities having increased considerably with the arrival of the colder weather. The Sydney market for pollard weakened plightly a few days ago, but recovered again. Regular consignments can be expected to come to hand from across the Tasman While present prices last. The Australian market for bran has now fallen to levels which allow a slight margin of profit to tho importer under the local mill price. Through store quotations for both commodities on tho spot vary slightly. Pollard sells at around £6 to £6 10s a ton and bran at, around £6 10s ft ton.

STOCK SALES. PRICES AT PUKEKOHE. [from our own correspondent.] PUKEKOHE, Thursday. An average yarding of dairy and fat cattle camo forward at the stock sale at Pukekohe to-day conducted by the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited. Values were very firm. Best dairy cows and heifers realised from £9 10s to f £ll 10s: other good cows and heifers, £7 10s to £0 ss; backward cows and heifers, £5 to £7 ss; good fat cows, £4 to £5 17s Gd; good forward conditioned cows, £2 10s t.o £3 ss; boner cows, £1 10s to £2 ss: in-calf heifers, £3 10s to £5 2s 6d; Jersey heifer calves, £1 10s to £2 ss. Fat pigs were penned in average numbers and sold under keen competition. Baconers made £2 10s to £3 2s; porkers and light baconers, £2 to £2 Ss; light porkers, £1 8s to £l, 18s; -slips, las to £1 4s; weaners. 9s to 15s. HIKUTAIA VALUES. Tho Farmers' Co-operative Auctioneering Company, Limited, report:—At Hikutnil sale cn Wednesday tve penned an average yarding of pigs and cattle. Late rates were maintained throughout. Quotations:—Pigs: Porkers. £1 14s; good stores. £1 to £1 5s fid, slips, 15s fid to 18s: weaners. 12s to 15s. Sheep: Fat lambs, lis Id. Cattle: Heavj fat cows. £fi 0s to £0 12s; medium fat cows, £3 19s to £5; light, fat cows. £3 to £3 18s; forward-conditioned cows. £1 IGs to £2 7s Cd; boners, £1 5s to £1 10s; heifers, running with bulls, £1 to £5 ss; poorer sorts, £2 to £2 IGs; mixed colours, steer calves, 12a; mixed colours, heifer calves, 21s.

~ MATAMATA SALE. Dalgety and Company, Limited, held their usual fortnightly stock eale nt Matamuta on Wednesday, when a Bmall yarding of sheep and a good yarding of fat and store cattle came forward and met with improved demand Heavy fat cows made £5 l_os to £6 3s; lighter fat cows, £4 to £5: light fat Jersey cows, £3 to £3 10s; others, £2 10s to £3; boner cows. 25s to 37s Gd: light bulls, £2 to £2 3s; fair sorts Je.rsoy heifers, small. £1 8s to £1 14s; smaller, 20s to 275; 18-mouths Jersey steers, small, £1 9s; smaller, 15s to 20s. Bacon pigs, up to £2 12s; unfinished baconers, £1 15s; light porkers, £1 Gs to £1 ds; large store, 15s to 19s; slips, 9s to 12s 6d; weaners, os to 7s 6d: good store lambs, 7s, fis 6d to 9s.