POTATO SUPPLIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23384, 28 June 1939, Page 9

POTATO SUPPLIES

CANTERBURY PROSPECTS

SMALLER CROP THIS YEAR HEAVY SHIPMENTS NORTHWARD [BY tklkohai'H—OWN CORH KSPONDF.NT] CHRISTCHURCH. Tuesday Potatoes have firmed by 10s a ton since the week-end. Whites and Dakotas are now quoted at £l2 a ton on trucks and Auckland shipments at I'l2 10s. with 10s inure on these prices for .July delivery. Two boats are to take potatoes from Tiniaru to Auckland this week, but the size of the cargoes cannot: yet be stated. Ihe possibility of a short crop this season lias been discussed hero for some time. I lie opinion of growers is that the crop is down on last season's by a ton to the acre. This reduction, on even the heavy yield of last year, suggests less than the normal crop. Last season s yield of (>..'!() tons an acre was the highest for many years and produced a crop of about 20.000 tons larger than the average;. To date shipments to the North Island have been unusually heavy, 1 1.8-18 sacks having been sent away from Lyttelton alone, against 77.098 last year, an increase of <>1.150 sacks, so it will be seen that heavy calls have been made on the supply. The estimated planting this year is 20.000 acres, hut as the estimate was made in October it is possible that the acreage has been exceeded. There is, however, an equal .chance that it has been reduced. A ton less an acre on the estimated acreage would he approximately 10.000 tons, bringing the total production to the lowest figure ever recorded. The attitude of Christchureh merchants to the price investigation regulations is that potatoes must be considered a perishable commodity, and that as price changes of perishable commodities are not required to be notified, potatoes are outside the scope oi the regulations. COMPANY WOUND UP RAGLAN DAIRY AFFAIRS LIQUIDATOR APPOINTED [from OCR OWN corrkspondt.nt] RAGLAN, Tuesday The final steps to wind up the affairs of the Raglan Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, were taken at a special meeting of shareholders yesterday. The chairman of directors. Mr. F. \Y. Peart, presided over an attendance of 60. The meeting was convened to eon firm the action of the shareholders three weeks ago to accept an offer made by the New Zealand Cooperative Dairy Company, Limited, to take over the supply of the Raglan company. The chairman said that an opinion had been circulated that the suppliers were anxious to quit the local company and to take their cream over the hill to Frank ton. He wished to make it quite clear that this was not the position. The directors had been faced with several alternatives and had recommended the shareholders that the agreement drawn up by the Executive Commission of Agriculture was the most satisfactory solution of the position. A formal resolution was passed that the company be wound up voluntarily and that Mr. S. Darby, for many years secretary of the company, be appointed liquidator. Messrs. F. W. Peart and W. G. Vernon were appointed a committee to co-operate with the liquidator. A good deal of discussion . centred round the question of disposing of the company's assets, either by means of a, cash sale to one purchaser or by the sale of the individual assets to different. people. A resolution that a cash offer be accepted was defeated. Tributes were paid to the secretary, Mr. Darby, for the efficient and conscientious manner in which he had carried out his duties during the last 19 years, and it was decided to grant him a bonus of £SO. Mr. Darby also received a silver watch from the directors. It was agreed to vote Mr. W. A. B. Young, manager of the company for the last three, years, a bonus of £2l. Mr. F. H. Wright said it was due to the very high grade allotted to the butter manufactured by the company under Mr. Young's supervision that the excellent pav-out received by suppliers was made possible. Recognition of the work of the chairman was also given, and on the motion of Mr. Arnold Wallis he was voted £2O. BRADFORD MARKET INCREASED .OUTPUT ESPECIALLY CROSSBREDS LONDON, .Tunc "2(i The Bradford market is very firm at full late rates. There is an increased output, especially of crossbreds. STUD SHEEP SALES GOOD PRICES FOR MERINOS (Received June 27, 0.25 p.m.) SYDNEY, June 27 At the stud sheep sales to-day 850 guineas were paid for a Merino ram from Falkiner's Haddon Rig stud. Two others from the same stud fetched 500 and 350 guineas, respectively. HIDES AND SKINS FIRM RATES MAINTAINED Firm prices ruled at the fortnightly sale of hides and skins held by Auckland brokers yesterday. Practically the only alteration was a slight easing in abattoir cow hides. Competition again was fairly keen. Prices for best (Trades were:— Hides. —Ox (abattoirs), heavy, o'id to (r!«d; medium, (i'-id to i!',d; light, ."''id: on (country butchers), heavy, .V.;d; medium. .V-jd; light, .">%d; cow (abattoirs), heavy. .V-id; light to medium. <">? id; cow (country butchers), heavy, .V.jd; light to medium. .">' jtl; farmers (all weights), I'id to .VI: yearlings (abattoirs), heavy, r>VI to (i" ; d; litrbl to medium, "'id to 7%d; seconds, r>d to d; faulty, t'id lo .fid; calfskins. 31b to slb, !»Vid; Gib to Sib, OVid; seconds and cut, T'id. faulty, G/id. Salted Sheepskins—Three-quarter to full wool. ">s Md to .-)S 11(1 each; medium, Is to -Is Sd: half-wool, la rue. 2s fid to .'is 3d; bare to quarter-wool. Is (o Is I'd. Dry Sheepskins.--Three-quarter to fullwool. medium to fine crossbred. damaged and faulty. C'd to S'' A t\ ; half-wool, medium In fine crossbred. damaged and fruit v. .V-.d to 7<l; bare to quarter-wool, sound td to .V;d: damaged and faulty. 2d In I'd. Tallow. —fined duality, lis to lis (id per cwt. ; second grade. Os to !Os: third. 7s to Ss. DUNEDIN VALUES FIRM [BY TKf.KfiI!.VI'H —OWN COUtiF.SI'ONDENT | DUNEDIN, Tuesday The fortnightly sheepskin sale was held to-rlav when good catalogues were offered to a fiifiv representative bench of buyers. Competition was keen with values fully firm on ruling at the last sale on June 13. Halfbred full-wools made up to UVio and crossbred full-wools to lid.. The official range or prices is as follows:--llalfbred full-wool to 0!4d; threequarter-wool, S 3 :d- half-wool. 7'/ s d to Sd; quarter-wool. M(1; fine crossbred full-wool, to ll'/d; three quarter-wool, S!4d to Od; half-wool, iV 2 d to S«/d■ quarter-wool, f>Vsd to 5%U; crosshred full-wool, to Od; threequarter-wool. S'/.d to ltd- half-wool, to S(l; quarter-wool. "iVJd. Hoggels. halfbred. Sd to S%d; fine crossbred, 7 , / ; d to sV«d; crossbred, 7'id to Sd; lambs, halfbred. to 7'/-(l; crossbred, lo 7"'id; halfhred. dead and damaged, to Sd; crossbred, dead and damaged, to fr'-d; first pelts, to l'/d; second 'pells, 2d to 3d. The next sale is listed tor July 11.