THE BREADSTUFFS AXD PRODUCE MARKETS

Otago Witness, Issue 2855, 2 December 1908, Page 20

THE BREADSTUFFS AXD PRODUCE MARKETS

Friday. London cablegrams to hand at the end of last week reported the wheat markets quieter after reports of rain in the Argentine. There was but little demand for " cargoes, London buyers not feeling disposed to respond to the rise in America. The only safes cabled during the week were 14.000 quarters Australian December shipment at 37s and 6400 quarters Australian December-January shipment, by steamer, at the- same price, which fully reflects last week's decline ' ' Under date London, October 16, "Beerbohm " thus reviews the wheat -position : — "The changes in the wheat position dimng the past week have been clearly on the side of present weakness. Anxiety in regard to politics in the East is no longer felt; the shipments continue large; the American ' visible ' shows a further increase of over six million bushels, and how exceeds last year's total; and last, but by no means least, the Argentine crop reports are so favourable that there is an increased! desire to sell new-^rop shipments at decidedly lower pricss than were required last week. It looks very probable, therefore, that the haste to sell American, Canadian, and Russian, wheats, which has been ' noticeable for some time past, owing- to the attractive prices, may result in weak markets in November if the Argentine crop reports remain favourable, because tbe trade can seldom withstand pressure to sell La Plata wheats. There is, however, no reason, we suggest, to assume that this weakness, if it do- come, will be lasting. The latest official crop reports do not, as & matter of ( fact, indicate any change in the position with regard to supply and demand as affecting tne whole season. Much, of course, depends upon the result of the Argentine and Indian crops, but" we are inclined to believe that whatever Argentina and India may be able to supply between now and the next narvesfc will Be comfort- "* ably and easily absorbed by the importing countries, whose requirements are clearly - largely in excess of those of last season. Official crop estimates have now been received from four of $be exporting countries, and it would be, therefore, interesting to compare their crops for th,e past three years, with their total exports, for the seasons ending July 31: — ♦ Chops.

"It will be remembered ' that the last season's exports from America, Canada, and Russia were largely 'comprised of old wheat _which had been left over from the abundant Tiropa of the' previous year; these reserve stocks do not exist this year, and co we suggest that the coming season's exports fiom these four countries may not equal those of the past season, notwithstanding the present liberal movement. This naturally means that we shall be the more dependent upon Argentina and India during the eerond half of the season, because if our estimates for the above-named sources, of supply should prove to be correct there would remain an equal quantity — viz., 34,000,000 quarters — to be obtained from. Argentina, Jndio> Australia, and sundries. The total requirements of importing countries this season are estimated ,at 68.000,000 quarters, including 3,000,000 quarters for non -European countries; last season - about 61,000,000 quarters were imported, this comparatively small total being supplemented by drawing upon reserve stocks all round." f The quotations cabled this week from the Commonwealth are evidently for new wheat for forward delivery, since private advices indicate the impossibility of obtaining immediate supplies at anything- like these rates. In Sydney wheat is quoted at 3s lOid to 3s lid, in Melbourne at 3s 9£d, and in Adelaide at 3s lOd. The Sydney Mail just to hand reports as follows:— " During the week the wheat market has further improved both on spot and in London. Old grain has been in continuous inquiry, but holders have not been in a reciprocating mood, although buyers have little by little extended their limits to 4s 4d and 4s 4£d. A little business was don© at these figures, but only a little. Whether holders have been doing the best thine in insisting upon the uttermost limit of the

The old eaying "The beet is always cheapest" ie true in Tegard to most things, - but particularly regarding cream «epara- - tors. Inferior machines get out of repair, are difficult to keep clean/ and" skim imperfectly, causing lose of time, temper, and money. Mr B. Benefield, of Kent r00d,., Taranaki, states: — "I have used other nun chines, but find the Baltic the best I ©ret used ; in fact, I cannot speak too highly, ■> of it." Dairymen contemplating tho putchaee of a separator cannot do better than invest in a baltic. Full particular and information sent post free on- application to J. B. MacEWAN & CO. (LIMITED), Sol© Agents, Duncdia.

market is, however, doubtful, in view of ■ the Jact that the local price is so considerably above that of other States, and new -wheat is actually beginning to come in. A few thousand bags have been placed •with Adelaide at a price equivalent to 4s 4£d- Sydney. New wheat is now exciting the. most attention. The arrival from Gunnedah and Gilgandra of the first two trucks of new grain is a reminder that the 1909 season is upon us. The varieties were ' Bobs ' and ' Budd's Early,' and were splendid samples. The tender sold at 4s 7d for * Bobs ' and 4s 6d for the other, it only being possible, for some' unexplained reason, to get a. few pence above the market for the lots which open a season. Ordinarily new wheat was being bought at 3s 19£ d for .ordinary season's delivery, and up to 4s for early December delivery." The feature of the local wheat market 13 the sparsity of offerings, and millers are beginning to be anxious as to their sources of supply from now until the marketing of the new grain. Inquiries cabled to Australia give little hdpe of any immediate relief from that quarter, whatever may he the ultimate position of prices in the Commonwealth. Thus, although there are buyers in the market at up to 4s 3id on trucks, there is no grain suitable for mill-ing-obtainable at that price, and offers of j 4s 4d bring out only a few small lines. • The sale of a decent line is reported on northern account at 4s 6d, f.q.b., Timaru. There are one or two lines still unsold in the- Waimate and Oamaru districts, but the., owners have placed a reserve of 4s «d on trucks upon them, a price which millers do not feel justified in giving. For. faiW-a rise in the price. of flour—^d ■which would at once open the door tor Australian importations,— to pay 4s 4d on trucks Mneans . gristing practically a profit, while any advance must ensure an actual loss. . , , , . , The local market continues bare of chick wheat, and order* are being filled with medium quality milling. The current quotation for good whole fowl wheat is 46 sd, fo.b., sacks in. Local orders, ex store, cannot be filled at under 4s 4dV There is no change m the price of Hour, which is selling freely. rhe associations tariff is as follows : -Sacks, £10 15s; 100 s £11- 50's, £11 iOs; 25's, £11 15s. The foiling price is £10 10s, and the Inverse ffiSnTior offal is practically nil, and prices are uttered The association's tariff stands :-Bran, £4 15s for local j orders, and £4 10s, f.o.b for &»Pment; Pollard, £6, both for local orders and for little or no demand for oate, sales of goo-d feed o*ts have been made at ff^d? ex store, but Is 6*d is the ruling of oatmeal remain, at ; *U > 10s •ocr ton. Pearl barley is quoted at £17. pats, M; Jury bulk, 8d to 94d; ,T. and P. pata, U OJd. CEeese, 6*d to o|d ; Akaroa Jid. Chaff.-Poor demand. Oaten &*«»«$ £3 10s to £3 12s 6d; medium to good, *.< 103 up to £3 ss; wheaten straw, £2 to a ff' oMen straw, £2 2s 6d to £2 J. Potetoes.-Maarket bare of good sound old sorts which are worth up to £4 lUs per ton; medium, £3 lCs to £3 15s; unpicked and poor eorts are practically unsaleable. New Potatoes: Peninsula grown, to lid; Auckland, lid to 2d;-Seachff, lid to 13d. Ee«s. Hid to 1« per dozen. Bacon.-Rolls, 9id; sides. BJd; hams, Sd to 94d ; prime bacon pags, up to 1601b, 6d; heavy weights, 4d to sd. Poultry.— Good inquiry for good conditioned. Hens, 3s 9d to 4s; roosters, 5s 6d : trukeys-gobblers 8d to 9d, hens 6d per lb; ducks, 4s od to 6s 6d; , geese, 4s to Onions, 10b to 12s per cwt. FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. The arrivals for th» week included 250 cases from Sydney direct ex Waikare, 206 cases ex Maheno, via Wellington, 200 cases tomatoes and cucumbers from Auckland, 6 cases tomatoes from Nelson, 70 cases Adelaide oranges, 60 oases Mildura oranges, 30 cases temone, and 124 boxes and crates of cherries ex Uldmaroa, from Melbourne and Hobart. In addition to the abovementioned arrivals the Monowa* brought transhipments ex Manapouri from tne islands, comprising about 2000 cases oranges, bananas, awd pines, and also tranahdpmmit* ex Yeddo from San Francisco, compr-Sing 500 cases apples and 500cases of oranges and lemons. Following are T the pricts between fruit-brokers &od retailers: — J Oranges. — Sydney, main crop, lls to , 12s; second crop, 5s to 7s; Mildura, first • crop, 17s to 17s 6d; second crop, lls to I3a;- Adelaide, 10s to 15s 6d; RarotongaJi, 7s to 13s as landed; San Francisco, 17s 6d to 18s 6d. Lemons.— Market well supplied. Sydney oranges realised up to 13s, and Auckland up to 163 at the beginning of the week. Prices at the end of the week were:— Auckland, 8s to 13s; Mildura, 13* to 14s; San Francisco, 28s 6d per double case. Some special lots of Milduras realised up to 21s sd. . Apples. — Cihoice Hobarb stunners, los 6d to 14s; American, 13s 6d to 15s. Bananas.— Repacks, 2id to 2Jd per lb; Rarotongan, 33 to 8s per case. Pines.— This fruit arrived in indifferent order from Rarotonga, and sold at from 3s to 6s per case. Cherries. — Victorian, in crates, realised up to 20b; boxes up to lls 9d; Alexandra and Roxburgh fruit, 6d to lUd per lb ; Canterbury, lod per lb. rapes, up to 3s 3d per lb. btrawberries.— From 6d for inferior up to Is 6d for extra ch»ice. Some extra choice realised up to 2s 4d per lb. fioosoborries, 2d to 2id per lb. Tomatoes. — Choice Ghristohuroh, up to Is O^cl per lb; medium, 10£ d; local, Is 3d; Auckland, 7£d to 10id. Vegetables.— Lettuce from 6d to 2s per dozen ; cauliflowers (choice), 5s 6d to 7s 6d per sack; medium, 3s 6d to 4s; cabbages, 2s to 4s 6d per sack ; rhubarb, 8s to 9s 4d per cwt ; green peas, 2d to 2id ; asparagus, 4b to 6s 6d per dozen. Cucumbers. — Local hothouse, 5s to 7s per dozen ; Ohristchurob, 4s to 7s ; Auckland, 5s to 10s 6d per box. Honey.— Choice, 4d per lb; 101b tiu«, 3s to 3s 6d ; choice sections, 6d to 7d. Beeswax, It 3d to Is 4d. | ttuto.— Brazil, 8d; walnuts, 4d to 53d; I Barcelona*, s£d to 6d; Japanese peanut*, 2id to 3d; Fijian peanuts, 2d to 2id. Preserved Fruits, etc. — Preserved ginger, 7id; date*— bulk 2Jd packets 3a 6d; figs, t*gfl and layers, 3d. ta 3£d; prunes, 4d.

Clover hay, £3 for choice* Feed barley, 3s to 3s 3cL Maize, 4s 6d to ss. IMPORT MARKET. Advice has been received of a further advance in apricots in San Francisco. This* has affected the local market, and evaporated fruit 'S now quoted at 9d. Canned fruit will also be affected by the advance. Dessicated eocoanut has advanced 3s per cwt. The new season's salmon by the Den of Ruthven will be on the market in tho early part of this week. There is an improved demand for mullet packed in the North Island, and 5s 9d per dozen is now the quotation for lib tins. The Papanui, now discharging at Dunedin, brings a number of short lines, including Cerebos salt, Morton's strawberry conserve, and carraways. Maconoehie's 6prats in lib tins are on the market, per Papanui, at 10s 6d per dozen. Prunes landing this week are quoted at 4id to 4±d. Pater's Chutney Sauce is quoted at 8s 6d per dozen.

J.SW&/IW. • Qrtf. ' r.S. Am«rica 82,503^000 !anad» . . 14,450,000 tussia . . 64,500,000 toumania 7,900,000 J.W//ÜB. IJJUO/V/ . Qrs. * Qr«. 79,400,000' 91,900.000 11,600,000 15,400,000 63,670,000 63,350,006 5,350,000 13,600,000 Total .. 163,350,000 160,020,000 184,230,000 Exports of "Wheat and Flotjb for Seasons Ended Jvtly 31. 1906/09. 1&07/08 1906/07. Qrs. Qrs. Qrs. Estimated. j.S. America 36,500,000 20,6255000 18,000,0003anada .. 7,000,000 5.940,000 5,810,000 Russia .. 7,000,000 7,500,000 11,750,000 Soumania.^.. 3^500,000 2.500,000 8,750,000 Total .. 34,000,000 36,565,000 44,310,000