CANTERBURY MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2666, 19 April 1905, Page 21

CANTERBURY MARKETS.

j Christchurch grain and produce report (Lyttelton Times, 15th inst.):— The difference of value between prime and damaged wheat has, if anything, widened during the last few days. There is a demand for the north for really sound qualities, Tuscan particularly; and these, being extremely scarce, command a substantial premium on the value of discoloured and damaged lines. There are buyers for Tuscan alone at up to 3s 5d f.0.b., but the quality and condition must be unexceptional, i and mixed lines of similar quality are worth .' about 3s 2d f.o.b. The bulk of the supply consists of more or less damaged lines, which, if only slightly weathered and thoroughly dry, 1 find buyers at 2s 9d to 2s lid, delivered at mill, oufeof-condition parcels being saleable only for fowl -feed at 2s 6d. Oats and barley are unchanged. Holders of good, bright sheaves ask 60s for chaff, while buyers offer 52s 6d. Probably the fall in the price of oats may modify sellers' ideas. There is a good inquiry for partridge peas, and 3s 2d has been paid for attractive lines, at country stations, though most of the business has been dpne at 3s Id. Eggs have advanced to Is 5d per dozen, with aai upward tendency. Aehburton grain markets for the week ended Friday last: — Wheat: Owing to the difficulty in making sales of any description, prices have gradually dropped, until practically shipping values have been reached. Millers and merchants are now more inclined to buy, and a few sales have been reported, while a better inquiry exists -all round. Partners have been ; more inclined to accept the .lowei prices, and ' a large business is expected during the coming week.* Quotations are— Tuscan 2s lid to 3s, I Pearl 2s lOd, Hunters 2s 9d. Oats: There j continues to be a good inquiry and ready sale for all kinds of good, sound feed oats. Prices ' remain firm at late quotations. The quan- • tity on offer is very limited. Values are— I Canadians Is 7id, Gartons, dim Is 7d, short ■ feed, Roaeberys Is 6d, Danish Is 5d j Timaru grain* markets : —Wheat : The dul- ' ness of the past few weeks prevails in the i market for this cereal, and growers, realising this, are not now offering freely. A few sales have been made during the week at prices equal to— Tuscan 3s 2d, velvets 3s Id, and red chaff 3s per bushel* f.0.b. ; sacks extra. Oats • A fair quantity of oats is being offered, and meeting with a ready sale. The quality is hardly up to the standard of the earlier offerings of the season, not being so bright. Sales have been madtg during the week at prices equal to— B grade Gartons Is 10* d, Danish Is 9d, duns 2s per bushel f.o.b. Timaru, sacks included. Chaif: There is an inquiry for chaff, but there is not much offering as yet. Temuka grain markets (Christchurch Press correspondent) :— During the week wheat markets have remained in an entirely lifeless and stagnant state, millers and merchants absolutely refusing to operate at prices asked by farmers. Consequently only small parcels of th« very primest lines have -ieen placed during the past week. Stack threshing is now becoming general, and during the next month or two large quantities of wheat will have to be handled and sold or stored. At present ,it appears evident that the latter course will be resorted to, unless holders are prepared i to face actual values and accept lower prices, ' and make business possible. The quality of ■ wheat results of stack threshing is in most ' cases a vast improvement on the best stook- I threshed. There is still a large quantity of . j second quality milling, and for this there is ' practically no sale other than at whole fowl wheat prices. Sales of prime Tuscan and velvet have been made at 2s lid and Hunters at 2s 9d, at near country stations. At these prices there is only a poor demand, while for lines off condition 2s 6d would be the value. With the downward tendency of the London and Australian markets, buyers of large parcels are likely to be hard to find. Christchurch grain sale:— Th "^ew Zealand , Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Ltd., I held their first grain sale of the season at their Durham street warehouse *on Friday last. There was a "very good attendance of buyers, but bidding was rather irregular. The catalogue comprised about 1500 sacks of wheat, I oa-ts, barley, etc., of which about two-thirds I were quitted. Prices were: — White wheat ' from 2s 8d to 3s lid, seconds 2s Id to 2s 81d ' Oats: Gartons Is 5d to Is Bd, Danish Is 6d, short feed Is 6d to Is 7d, duns Is 7d to Is I 7£d, delivery at store, sacks 6d extra. There I was very little demand for chaff. | Ashburton wool and skin sales- — There was only a small entry of wool and skins at the Ashburton sales last week, and business was not brisk. The greater number of pelts offered were of inferior quality. Prices were : Wool pieces (mixed) 4*d per Ib. crutchings (bales and bags) <tjd, 4jUl, 4|d per lb ; halfbred fleece wool passed in at 7=d per Tb; lambs' wool 6£d; bag fleece wool 7d per lb. Fat — Rough fat l£d, ljd per lb; rendered fat l*d per lb. Hides — Xo competition. Those offered passed in at 15s 6d. Skins — Crossbred pelts 3d, 4d, Gd, lid, Is, Is Id, Is 2d, Is 6d, Is 7d, Is Sd, Is lid, 2s, 2s 3d, 2s 6d, 2s 7d, 3s, 3s Id; lamb skius Bd, Is 6d, Is 7d, Is Bd, ! 2s Bd, 23 lid ; black skins Is 6d, butchers' i crossbred pelts 2s 3d, 2s 4d, 2s 7d, 2s lid ; ' merino skins Is 7d, 2s 7cl, 3s; halfbred «kins ' Is 9d, Is lid, 2s sd. Grain and produce shipments- — The exports of grain and .produce fr_om Lvttelion fq;r

last week included the following lines' — 4557 sacks wheat, 298 sacks and 368 bags flour, 9020 sacks oats, 69 sacks meal, 115 sacks malt, 443 sacks bran, 35 sacks sharps, 30 sacks pollard, 10,480 sacks chaff, 246 sacks peas, 1220 sucks and 8 bags potatoes, 27 sacks and 1094 gimmes onions, 1097 sacks seed, and 273 bales hay. Of the foregoing, 5051 sacks oats were for South Africa, 30 sacks oats, 9 sacks peas, 798 gunnies onions, and 682 sacks seed for Australia, and the balance for New Zealand ports.