TRADE OF THE WEEK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21247, 29 July 1932, Page 5

TRADE OF THE WEEK

RETAIL AND WHOLESALE NO APPRECIABLE CHANGE POTATOES AGAIN FIRMER Business conditions in tlie city have registered little movement during tho past week. Distributing trade has continued on a steady basis, and activity among the retail houses has been normal. Wholesale merchants are still working on stocks, and as yet there is no indication of any resumption in overseas buying, which has remained practically at a standstill for some weeks. In Urn past a great, deal of Christmas buying was either completed or in hand at thin time of the year, hut the. general policy undor pres-ent-day conditions is to postpone operations until tho last possible moment. Overseas arrivals have been more froquent during the week, and the taking of goods into store has occupied a. number of houses, j The potato market is again tho fcaturo | of the grain and produce trade. Owing to tho disposal of stocks and tho prospect of smaller arrivals, prices in Auckland have firmed to £8 a ton and over through store. Other lines have displayed little movement. SAGO AND TAPIOCA j A report from. Singapore advises a slight advance in sago prices this week, with tapioca unchanged. CAMPHOII Tho Japanese market for refined camphor is steady, with no change in local prices. CHILLIES Stocks of chillies in Japan have been exhausted for eonie time, and, as the new crop will not be ready until October, there arc no quotations available at present. PEPPER Tho market for pepper continues to fluctuate. This week prices have registered a marked reductioa on last week's advanced rates. PINEAPPLES Following the announcement inado la3t •week of firmer prices for pineapples in tho Singapore market, other agents have now received advico that, owing »to the heavy demand from Europe, eupplies of fair quality elicea are vory short, and prices havo advanced by as much as 15 per cent in some cases. Cubes, on the other hand,'are in good supply, and havo firmed only slightly, although a subsequent movement is anticipated in sympathy with slices The advance at this time of tho year, when a new crop will soon be available, is considered to bo a fairly sound indication of tho forward market, TEA Tho offering at this week's tea auction at Colombo comprised 2,000.0001b. Tljero was a much better general demand. Common grades advanced id a lb. Mediums were slightly irregular. Good teas were dearer, especially those in which quality showed, an improvement. Exchange is quoted at Is G 7-32 d to the rupee, 90 days' usance. Next week's auction will comprise 2,000.0001b. A report from Calcutta advises a strong demand in all grades at late rates. DATES Price 3 for new season's dates havo now been named for a week or two for direct shipment to Australia from Busra. about September-October, reaching New Zealand early December, and good busmesß _ lias been done by agents. The prices for ootli Sair and Khadrawis aro particularly favourable to buyers, and are practically on a par with opening rates for new season s at this time last year. One agent received advice by cable that the crop had been damaged to some extent by sandstorms, but as confirmation of business cabled Jias now been received, apparently the damage done was not as great as was at tirsi thought. Prices of carton dates of Various brands havo also been named, but in this line there is npt the usual demand. Ihe trade finds that to-day the business done ! is mainly in the bulk packing, with a tendency toward what is known as loose pack, or tho pitted, or stoned datee. ihe lastnamed aro becoming more popular eacn year ' JAPANESE SEEDS Th® latest market reports from shipping centres indicate that there has been some activity recently in Japanese liemp seeci, mainly due to the fall in the conversion exchange, but as arrivals from the . producim, centres have been small and stocks in dealers' hands are diminishing, the c.j.f. puce remains firm. There lias also been a, litUo activity in rupo seed, with a small domain being shown for n<w crop, Aiigust-Septpm ber shipment. Buck .wheat and white millet stocks havo all been sold in "V* lias been difficult to dray; further supplies from tho producing districts in Manchuria, owing to the recent disturbances there. Sellers are thus unable _to quote for the time being- l?ed and mixed millet Blocks held by shippers are small, ami new arrivals are not cxpectod for a while yet. The market remains firm, with an upward trond : POTATOES The potato market has firmed since last week. All supplies are held in store, ant as the shipment expected next week will bo a light one, the market should bo very firm at around £8 to £8 10s a ton through store. Quotations for August-Septembe from the South Island are at present difficult to secure. Seed potatoes are meeting with a strong demand, and ample stocks <.f the leading varieties aro available. ONIONS Onions havo been slow of sale at the present lovels. Most of the business has been done in Japanese at around 19s a S. There are still limited aupplie..of I Pukekobea available at around lo j CWt ' FOWL WHEAT The market for fowl wheat is steady, but tho demand is slow on _ account of ihe plentiful supplies of maize, bar ey. or. Prices are at atound 6s 3d to 03 Id a bushel through store.' Inquiry is showing an improvement for new season's maize. Ihe wholesale buying ra to is around Is 3d a bushel on trucks. Buy of Plenty. Supplies of South African old grain avo still available at about as Oil a bushel ex store. OATS The price of feed oats is a eliade easier in the South. Through store, Auckland, tlioy aro worth around 4s 4d a bushel, i-110 demand is reported to be disappointing. CHAFF A little better inquiry is being experienced for chaff. Tho price remains unaltered at around 15s a ton, through Blo, '°' BARLEY Ample stocks of clipped Australian barley are held in Auckland, and a good demand continues for this l»ne.. Jhe price is steady at around 4s 3d to 4s 4<l a bushel through store. BRAN AND POLLAIiD Tho low price of bran still rules, and at present there is an improved demand. Jt is worth £i 10s a ton from the mills and about £5 a ton from merchants, through store. The local price of pollard remains unchanged, but Australian values are higher. From Auckland merchants local pollard is worth £(> 10s a ton through store and Australian up to £7 a ton. DAIRY PRODUCE PRICES - BUTTER QUIET AT 104s TO 106s Reports from London adviso that tho market for New Zealand butter remains a.t* around 104s to 106s a cwt., with a quiet tone. _ Merchants have received tho following reports from their London houses, dated July 27: The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited : —Butter, 106s. Checso. 55s to 565. The market is slow. A. H. Turnbull and Company, Limited, from W. Weddel and Company, Limited Butter: Danish, 117s to 120s; New Zealand finest salted, 104s to 106s; Australian, salted, 101 sto 103s. Cheese: White and coloured, 55s to 565. Both markets aro quiet.