THE BREADSTEFFS AND PRODUCE MARKET.

Otago Witness, Issue 2545, 24 December 1902, Page 8

THE BREADSTEFFS AND PRODUCE MARKET.

Friday. Business in- the breads tuffs market for 1902 has practically closed, and no further change-s are likely to take place until the new year opens. There is little or no wheat offering, except a few lines of- Hunters and Tuscans at prices which preclude business, and millers do not appear anxious to operate for' the moment. A little could possibly be done in velvet, but there is none available. Canterbury holders control the market, which keep 3 firm. Quotations are nominally the same a3 a week ago — viz. : Hunter's ■ and Tuscan, 5s 3d to 5b 4d on trucks Canterbury sidings, equal to 5s 7d to 5s 8d Dunedin ? velvet, 5s 6d to 5s Bd, on trucks equal to 5s lOd to 6s Dunedin. Since the £1 rise reported last week, there has been no further advance in the price of flour, and the general feeling is that it has reached the top level. The New Zealand Flour Millers' Association's tariff, therefore, still stands at £13 per ton for Backs, £13 10s for 100's, £13 15s for 50's, and £14- for 25's. Bran and pollard are btili quoted at £7 per ton, and although the market for offal in Australia has declined somewhat, and the demand for shipping has fallen off accordingly, yet the Bmallnes3 of stocks in millers' hands makes it difficult to supply orders. Consequently it is not expected that the price of bran and pollard will (decline for a few weeks at least, if at all. Manitoba flour — Lake of the Woods brand, — of which between 100 and 150 tons will be on this market early in the new year,- is quoted to arrive at £13 net, and Californian flour — a small consignment of Starrs, ' bakers' extra— at £12 10s net. It | is probable that as the supplies of old wheat suitable for milling purposes run down, millers will utilise considerable quantities of Manitoba flour for mixing purposes, until thr* new wheat is fit for gristing. There is considerable speculation in the trade concerning the future of the New Zealand Flour Millers' Association. The present agreement expires early in the new year, and no announcement has yet been made concerning the new agreement. Mr G. Jameson, tbe general manager of the association, has been in Dunedin this week. Questioned on the subject, he said that j matters were still in abeyance — he was not prepared to say anything as yet, either one way or the other. Rumours are afloat as to the possibility of the Dunedin flour mill, to be sold by auction next month, being purchased by the Government ; but, in the lace of Sir J. G. ' Ward's distinct declaration to the contrary the other day in Christchurch, the rumour docs not gain much credence. At a fully-attended meeting of the Master Bakers' Association, lield on Thursday evening, it was unanimously resolved, on account of the recent rise in flour of 30s per ton, to put the price of bread up to 7id the 41b loaf. Roughly speaking, this £d rise in the 41b loaf of bread represents 25s per ton in flour, so that, as-uming the bakers were justified in charging 7cl per loaf when flour was £11 per ton, they will now have to pay the extra 5s per ton on flour out of their profits. From that point of view, therefore, this new advance appears to bo quite justifiable. With the exception of a few small shipping orders, there is little or nothing doing in oats. Odd lines of B grade are selling at up to 2s 9£d, f.0.b., s.i.. and C grade at 2s B£d, f.0.b., s.i. There is a feeling that jLuatralia will come fog more oats in tho

] new' year, and stocks are so exceedingly short that one or two decent order's would soon send" up .the price. Oatmeal is unchanged at £13 10s to £14, according to brand. Fowl feed is not at all plentiful. Best .chick wheat is quoted up to 4s 6d ex store, and 4s B£d f.0.b., s.i., has been obtained for small shipping lines. Feed barley, too, is very scarce, and can be quoted at 3s 2d to 3s 3d. Owing to heavy arrivals from the north, the market is glutted with new potatoes, and a regular slump has set in. The price has fallen to Id per lb, and a lot of inferior quality sold at even a lower figure. New Peninsula kidneys are selling at lid per lb. There are not many old Derwents offering, and they are quoted at £6 10s to £7 according to quality. Dairy produce remains unchanged eince la3t report. Cheese keeps very scarce, and the market is firm at from 6d to b{d for Akaroa, and from 6jd to"~6|d for factory, . large, and medium. The butter market, too, is fairly firm at 8d to 9d for good dairy butter and 9£d to lOd for farmers' separator. First-grade factory butter remains unchanged at lid per lb and lljd for pat?. Eggs have been selling at lid all the week, but to-day the price rather unexpectedly dropped to lOd. There is a. good inquiry* for Christmas poultry, which is in rather limited supply. Prices range as follow: — Good young roosters, 4s to 4s 6d per pair ; ducklings, 5s 6d to 63 -per pair ;- young geese, 63 6d -to 8s per pair. Turkeys : Cocks, 9d to lOd per lb ; hems, 5d to 6d per lb. . Old hens, 2s to 2s 6d per pair ; old ducks, 3s 6d to 4« per pair. - Pigs ' continue scarce. Baconers (up to 1601b), sd; overweights, 3£d to 4£d. Bacon is in veiy short supply, and the market for prime rolls is firm at Bd. Hams are firm at lOd. Bright heavy oaten sheaf chaff is in good inquiry at up to £5 15s per ton.