THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3101, 20 August 1913, Page 20

THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Friday evenine

Latest London cablegrams advise that the European wheat market is weak, and that prices have dropped sc; a quarter. The quantity of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom and the Continent is 4.220.000 quarters, as against 4,185,000 quarters on August 3. The Atlantic shipments totalled no less than 808,000 quarters. The grand total shipped from all exporting countries to Europe during the season commencing at the beginning of August, 1912, is 72,700,000 quarters, against 61.335.000 quarters for the 1911-12 season, and 74,955,000 quarters for 1910-11. George Dornbusch’s estimate of the world’s wheat crop for 1913 shows an unprecedented total of 511,200,000 quarters, as compared with 490,659,000 quarters for 1912, 460,186,000 quarters for 1911, 471.022.000 quarters for 1910. This figure is open to modification when the final results of the European and North American harvests are* obtainable, while Argentine and Australasian estimates are, of course, liable to material alteration during the next few months. Of the shipments of wheat and flour to Europe during the season ended July 31, 1913, about 38 per cent, came from North America, over 25 percent. from the Black Sea ports, nearly 20 per cent, from India, and nearly 6 percent. from Australasia.

In Sydney wheat is quoted to-day at 3s 7id to 3s 7j>d (last week, 3s 7jd to 5e 8d); Melbourne, 3s Bjd (3s to 3s 9d); Adelaide, 3s 8d to 3s (unchanged). The local wheat market has been very quiet throughout the week, only a few sales having been recorded. Millers are open to purchase any good lots of velvet or velvet ear that may offer at reasonable prices. Sales of Tuscan have been made during the week at 3s 8d ex rail, and for velvet sellers are asking 4s on trucks in the vicinity of the Oamaru district, which price, however, millers are disinclined to give at present. Good whole fowl wheat is worth 3s 4d to 3s 5d per bushel, sacks extra. The tariff of the Flourmillers’ Association for flour and on other lines is as follows; Flour: Sacks, £9 5s per ton; 1001 b bags, £9 15s; 501 b bags, £10; 25'b bags, £lO ss. Bran, £4 5s per ton. Pollard, £6. Oatmeal, £l3. Pearl barley, £l6 10s. The most important item of news to record —more particularly as affecting the oats market perhaps—is a notification of a reduction in the change for Home freights from 35s to 25s per ton. The reduction has had a tendency to firm the oat market, though business continues dull. Auckland merchants are still inquiring for lines, and a few fairsized parcels were disposed of for the north during the week. The floods being experienced in North Otago and Southland will no doubt have an injurious effect on any of the oats which may be standing in stack, and this may tend to harden prices for prime, but of course nothing can be known in this direction till full reports come to hand of the damage done. There are very few oats offering from the country. Local merchants are not prepared to quote under 2s 6d to 2s bid f.0.b., s.i. for A Gartons, and 2s 5d to 2s sjd for B’s, though pricse arc inclined perhaps to be a little irregular. An Auckland merchant reports as follows under date August 11 :—“ Only 3477 sacks of oats came to hand per Wanaka, bring ng the total receipts from August 1 up to 5256 sacks. This quantity is below the average, and store stocks will now get a chance to be worked upon. During the week there has been a slight inquiry for B Gartons at 2s 3jd for September, but sellers were not inclined to confirm at this figure. Buyers here are closely watching for the advices regarding Home shipments, and if those materialise then there will be a rush to cover requirements.” PRODUCE REPORT.

The wet weather lias retarded deliveries of chaff, but prices remain unchanged from last week, all prime samples being readily placed. Inferior and medium are moving off slowly Auckland advices state that “Southern shipments of chaff have been very small indeed, and that good local is not too plentiful. There is, however, .still a big supply of Melbourne chaff available. The qua'ity of the latter is not acceptable to the bulk of the feeders, consequently there is a good demand for consignments of good southern chaff. Quotations are 87s 6d Blenheim and 82s 6d Lyttelton. Another cargo of Melbourne chaff is now being loaded.”

Consignments of potatoes continue in excess of the demand, and prices have eased slightly. A number of the lines are badly graded, and prices for these are very irregular. An Auckland report under date August 11 states that the Wanaka. Tarawera. and Monowai brought a total of 13,550 sacks, and that these have filled up the market. The report continues:—“Buyers are offering 755, c.i.f., for consignments, but the agents are holding out for 80s. The southern market is weaker, and sales have been confirmed as low as 60s. Even at this

figure buyers are scarce as they have previously filled their requirements for the next three weeks at 655, f.0.b., s.i.” The market is still short of dairy butter. Owing to heavy consignments of eggs, prices have again eased.

There is a fair demand for Victorian onions, but Canterburys are somewhat neglected.

A keen demand continues for pigs. Current wholesale prices are as follow ; Chaff.—Prime heavy oaten sheaf, £4 to £4 ss; medium to good, £3 to £3 15s; inferior, £2 nnd upwards (sacks extra). Straw.—Oaten, to £2 ss; wheaten, £2. Potatoes.—Prime table sorts, £3 to £3 10s; medium, £2 5s to £3 per ton (bags in). Hay —£3; inferior, £2 and upwards. Onions. —Prune Canterbury, to £8; Victorians, £9. Figgs. Fresh, Is Id to Is 2d; stamped, Is 3d. Butter.—Dairy, lid per lb; milled, ll£d per lb; separator, in lib pats. Is. Pigs. Baconers. fid per lb; porkers, 6J,cl. Bacon. —Rol's (in quantities). lOd; sides. 9^d; hams (under 201 b), Is per lb. FRUIT REPORT. About 700 cases of fruit—oranges, mandarins, and passions—wore landed from the Sydney boat last Monday, the whole of the consignment being readily disposed of at bill rates. The Melbourne boat, arriving on Tuesday,, brought 500 cases of lemons, mandarins, and oranges, and these also sold well. The market is now absolutely bare of Rarotongan oranges, and it is not expected that there will bo any large parcels from this quarter till the opening of the season next year. In the meantime the local market will have to depend on Sydney and Adelaide for its oranges, but it is not anticipated that there will be any large consignments from Australia this season. Apples arc still arriving from Nelson and Canterbury, and all good samples meet with a keen demand. Very small quantities of Tasmanian-grown are arriving, only 250 cases landing from the Melbourne boat on Tuesday. I ho bulk of these came to hand to order, and consequently importers were not inclined to accept low prices. Prices for vegetables show but little 1 alteration. Cauliflowers are still in good supply. It is r-eported that the gardens in and around Dunedin are suffering severely from the present floods. The following arc the current wholesale prices:— Oranges.—Rarotongan, market quite bare; Poorman oranges, 10s fid to 11s (prices firm); Sovillee, 8s fid to 9s 9d. Bananas.—Ripe, 3d to 3^d; green, none offering. Apples.—Canterbury cookers, 7s fid to 8s fid per 401 b case; Taieri. per lb; dessert, 8s fid to 10s fid; choice, to 11s fid per bushel case; Hobart Scarlet Pearmains, 12s fid per case of 401 b; Sturmers, 11s. Tomatoes.—Tree tomatoes, 6s fid per case. Pears. —Very few offering. Tasmanian, 5s to 7s fid per box, for medium quality. Lemons. —Mildura and Adelaide, very few offering, 15s fid to 16s fid per case. Mandarins. —Gins, 12s fid to 14s fid; bushels, 10s to He fid. Cucumbers.—Auckland hothouse, 9s to 12s. Passion fruit, -8s to 9s fid per box. Pineapples, 10s fid to 12s. Honey.—New season’s, in 101 b tins, 4s fid per tin; bulk, 3£d to 4d; j,lb packets', 3s to 3s 3d per dozen; bottles, 8s per dozen. Vegetables.—Plentiful. Cabbage, up to 4s lOd per dozen for large Savoys; inferior sorts, fid to Is fid per dozen; sacks,- fid to 2s fid. Lettuce, is to 2s fid per case, for medium (good inquiry); choice, to Is fid per dozen. Cauliflowers, Is to 2ls 3d per dozen for small; choice. 3s to 6s; extra large 7s fid; sacks, 2s fid to 4s 3d. Table carrots, fid per dozen bunches; from 2s • fid 3s fid per cental bag. Turnips, 4d to fid per dozen b l,no^lC6 ‘> swedes, 2s 3d to 2s fid per sack, Is 3d to Is fid cental bag. Parsnips, fid per dozen bunches, 2s fid to 3s fid per bag. Celery, 4d to 9d per bundle; choice, Is. Brussels sprouts. Is fid to 2s per box of 61b. Radishes, fid to 9d per dozen. Best Is per dozen bunches; 8s to 9s per sack. IMPORT MARKET. Owing to increased Home cost the price of cream of tartar has been increased to

per ib and upwards, according to quantity. toicily almonds are now quoted at le 6d per Ib. The new season's crop, which is due to arrive here in November, will cost the existing price to land. Supplies of prune samples of prunes are short The current quotation for 60’s to 70’e is 4d per lb ex store. The new season’s Brazil nuts show an advance in price on last season’s values, now costing per lb. Supplies of packet dates are practically exhausted, and there is no prospect of further parcels arriving till the new’ season’s dates come to hand next December. Clothes pegs are quoted as follows: —Ten boxes, 5s per box; less, 5s 3d per box. Peck’s ham and chicken paste is out of the market just now, also G. and B. and Burnett’s essence of vanilla. Further supplies are expected by the next London boat. A shipment of ling fish, which is short on the market, is due on the Waimana, due in about 10 days. Dimock's brawn shows a slight increase in price. The present quotation is 13s 6d per dozen tins. For Dimock’s hams, Christmas delivery. Is per lb' is the ruling quotation. The prices of Ilunkydory metal polish have been revised, as follows: —Twelve dozen, 6s per dozen : six dozen. 6s 3d; less than six dozen, 6s 6d. I lie new season’s Californian fruits—viz., seeded raisins, prunes, evaporated apricots, etc., are all showing increased prices. These fruits arc due here about November. Advices-received from British Columbia state that the salmon run has just commenced. that the fish arc coming in in quantity, and that it is expected there will be a very large pack this season. Only small supplies of canary seed are available, and these are ruling at the veryhigh price of 6d per lb ex store.