GRAIN AND PRODUCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22643, 3 February 1937, Page 9

GRAIN AND PRODUCE

TRADE IN AUCKLAND

HIGH VALUES CONTINUE GOVERNMENT WHEAT CONTROL With prices for practically all lines remaining at very high levels, business in grain and produce in Auckland is quiet. Doubts are already being expressed about sufficient quantities of winter feed being available, maize and barley being likely to bo very short. Business in fowlwheat is practically at a standstill pending some Government control. The forward position of chaff is very firm. Potatoes and onions are plentiful. POTATOES As a result of the recent wet weather supplies of potatoes from Pukekohe are heavy on the local market. Sonio lines are affected by blight, but good sorts are firm. Values ranged from '-!s to 4s (id a bag, through auction. ONIONS Supplies of onions continue to come forward very freely from Pukekohe and the quality shows an improvement. Present quotations are 112s Od per cwt., through store. FOWLWHEAT Stocks of fowlwheat aro very firmly held. Business is practically suspended awaiting an announcement by the Government regarding control. Values are maintained at last week's level of 5s lOd a bushel, through store. MAIZE Business in maize is very restricted on account of the limited offerings and the high price of Ss Id a bushel, through store, which is unaltered since last week. There does not appear to be any possibility of rejief from the high values until the first of the imported stocks arrives from Java in May. BARLEY There is a good steady demand for clipped barley at the unchanged through store quotation of r>s lOd a bushel. Prices in Australia are very firm and it is reported that by the end of March there will be no feed barley available for export. Only small supplies aro expected from the South Island, where the greater proportion is malting grades. Current rates are still below replacement cost. . OATS AND CHAFF The market for chafT is very firm and the forward position is strong. Merchants are not keen to operate and are buying only their immediate requirements. Difficulty is being experienced in the South in gotting supplies graded on account of discolouration. Ihere is no alteration in the rate of £8 17s Od a ton, through store. . Business is very quiet in oats, which are gelling at late rates of Js lid a bushel, through store. Threshing has now been commenced and higher prices are anticipated on account of the short crop. BRAN AND POLLARD Local supplies of pollard are still insufficient to meet a fairly good demand, but stocks from Australia are enough to keep merchants going. Present quotations for Australian show no chango at £9 5s a ton, through store.* The local price, as fixed by the Wheat Committee, is maintained at £7 a Bran is selling fairly well, although there are still ample supplies of green feed. Quotations remain at £(> 15s a tou, through store.

THE CITY MARKETS j FIRMING IN TOMATOES VEGETABLE PRICES FALL The demand for good quality dessert apples, pears and plums was brisk at tho City Markets yesterday, but peaches, which are almost over, met with a poor inquiry. Outdoor tomatoes firmed toward tho end of the day's sales and grapes and oranges sold readily. The shortage of bananas continued and nono appeared on tho market. Recent rains resulted in a heavy supply of vegetables and marrows and rhubarb were almost unsaleable. The few lines of potatoes unaffected by blight advanced on last week's rates, but peas and beans wore cheaper. New season's kumaras eased in price, but ripe pumpkins and good carrots were again keenly sought. Poultry prices were unvaried save for a slight" drop in values for cockerels and black hens. Butter and egg prices were unchanged. Values were: — FRUIT Apples, Albany beauty, 5s to 9s; Gravenstein,. choice coloured, (is Gd to 9s; others, •Is to Gs till; cookers, large, 4s (id to ss; sinal! 3s to -Is; Willie Sharp, 3s to -Is; pears, Bon "Chretien. 9s Gd to 10s (id; tomatoes, outdoor, oxtra choice, smooth, 4s Gd to (is; outdoor, oxtra choice, 3s (kl to 4s Cd; others, Is (>d to 3s; oranges, Californian, 37s Cd to 40s; Jamaican, 25s to 3'2s Cd; Japanese, to '27s (id; lemons, choice cured, lis to 14s; others 4s to Os; bananas, originals, 14s to 18s; grapes, hothouso Hamburg, extra choico, Is 3d to Is Gd lb; others, 7d to Is lb; peaches, Paragon. '2s Gd to 4s case; 4s Gd to 7s crate; plums, Burbank, 3s to Gs; Satsuma, 4s to 5s (id; Purple King, os to 8s; October Purple, 5s to Os; nectarines, according to condition, 3s to (is; apricots, bud order, 3s to ssi strawberries. Captain Cook, Is to Is 5d chip; blackborries, 3d to 7d chip; coconuts, 16s sack, FIELD PRODUCE Beet, Hd to lOd dozen; celery, cooking, Od to Is 4d bundlo; dessert., '2s to 2s (id; carrots, Is to 2s 3d dozen; cauliflowers, 4s to 7s sack; cabbages, Is Gd to Gs; on benches, 9d to Is (id dozen; cucumbers, Gd to Is Od; French beans. 2s to 3s bag; strinsrless beans, ;)s to ss; green peas, 3s to 7s (id; kumaras, Island, 15s to 18s cwt; new season's, 2d to 3d lb; leeks, Is to Is (id dozen; lettuce, Is to 3s Gd caso; marrows, Gd to 2s dozen: onions, 3s to 4s Gd bug; potatoes, 2s to Is Gd; pumpkins, new season's, Ss to 12s (id cwt; parsnips, Od to Is 3d dozen; radish, (id to Od; rhubarb, Is to Is Od; spinach, Is io Is Gd; spring onions, (3d to 10s bundle; swedes, 2s Gd to 4s bag; turnips, 3d dozen. POULTRY Cockerels heavy breeds, prime, 3s to 5s each; not prime, Is Gd up; light breeds, prime, Is Od to 3s Gd; not prime, Gd up; fat roosters, heavy breeds, primo, 2s to 2s Gd; light, breeds, Is 3d lo Is 9d; fat hens, iieavv breeds, 2s Gd to 3s Gd; light breeds. Is 3d to Is Od; pullets, heavy breeds, best. 5s to Gs: smaller, 2s up; light hreeds, best, s=! to Gs; smaller, 2s lip; drakes, young, prime Is Gd to 2s; smaller, Od up; old, Od to Is' (Id; ducks, young, 2s Gd to 4s; old, Od to Is Gd. BUTTER. AND EGGS Eggs, hen, A grade, Is lOVid dozen; B grade, Is H'/.d; C grade, Is O'/jd; duck, A grade, Is S'/ 2 fl; B grade. Is 7'id; C grado, Is O/id; butter, farmers', lOd to Is lb.

HIDES AND SKINS QUIETER TALLOW ALSO EASIER A temporary slackening in the overseas demand resulted in slightly easier prices for some lines of hides at the fortnightly sale held by Auckland brokers yesterday. Skins generally were steady, but tallow prices were also influenced by easier overseas inquiry. Prices for best grades were: — Hides. —Ox (abattoirs), heavy, B|d to Bld per lb.; medium, Bj!d to Bgd; light, 73d to B}d; ox (country butchers'), heavy, 8d to B}d; medium, 7ld to 7*d; light, 7gd to 7Jd; cow (abattoirs), heavy, 7£d to 8d; light to medium, 8d; cow (country butchers), heavy, 7d to 7}d; light to medium, 7d to 7jd; (farmers'), all weights, 5d to G J jd; yearlings (abattoirs), heavy, BJd to 9d; light to medium, lid to lljd; second grade, 7id to B}d; faulty and cut, 6d to 7Jd; calfskins, 31b. to 51b., lojd to 15Jd; 61b. to 811).. 15Jd to 153 d; seconds and cut, 12jd to 13d; slippy, 6£d to llid. Salted Sheepskins.—Three-quarter to full, extra large, 10s 6d to lis Gd each; medium to large, 8s 6d to 9s 6d; faulty, 6s to 7s Id; half to three-quarter, large, 6s 3d to 8s; bare to quarter-wool, sound, 3s to 4s 7d; faulty or small, Is 4d to 2s 4d. Dry Sheepskins.—Three-quarter to full wool, medium to fine crossbred, lod to ICd per lb.; coarse crossbred, 14d to 15d; damaged and faulty, 9d to Hid; half-wool, medium to fine crossbred, 13d to 133 d; damaged and coarse. 12d to 122 d; faulty, 8d to 9Jd; bare to quarter-wools, sound, 8d to 9d; damaged and faulty, 5d to GAd. Tallow. —Good quality, 25s to 25s 0d per cwt.; second grade, 23s Gd to 24s 6d; third grade, 18s 6d to 195..