THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3112, 5 November 1913, Page 18

THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Friday 'evening. Latest London cable advice states that the European wheat market is firm, but-that there is a disappointing demand. In Sydney wheat is quoted at 3s 5d to 3s fid (last week 3s fid to 3s 8d); Adelaide, 3s sjd to 3s fid (3s 7d to 3s 7£d); Melbourne, 3s 5d to 3s ssd. The strike in Wellington and the cutting off of the transport of cargo to the North Island have caused a stoppage of all exports of produce, etc., to this quarter, and the markets in the meantime are therefore governed by purely local conditions. Another very quiet week has to be recorded in the local wheat market, and as far as can be ascertained only two or three sales have been recorded, the quantity probably not amounting to two or three hundred bags. Millers appear to bo taking nd intci’est in the offerings of wheat, most pf them having sufficient stocks to keep them going for a few weeks, and are therefore disposed to hold off in expectation of values easing as the season advances. There is practically no change to record in prices. Farmers in South Canterbury are socking 4s Ogd to 4s Id for velvet, and 3s ltd to 3s 8d for Tuscan and Marshall’s White, on trucks, but, as indicated above, there arc few buyers at these figures. Fowl wheat is in keen demand, and good whole is quoted at 3s fid to is 7d per bushel, sacks extra. The tariff of the Flounnfilers' Association for flour and other linos is as follows: Flour: Sacks, £9 5s per ton; 1001 b bags, £9 15s; 501 b bags, £10; 251 b bugs, £lO ss. Bran, £4 5s per ton. Pollard £6. Oatmeal, £l2 10s. Pearl barley, £l6 10s. The oats market continues in a stagnant

condition. An occasional inquiry cornea from the North Island, but. of course, no business can be done in this direction at present. Good rains in Australia have banished any prospect of a late demand from there. Prices remain unchanged, and may be given, more or Ices nominally, as 2s 3ad to 2s 4d for A’s and 2e 3d for B’s, f.0.b., s.i. PRODUCE REPORT.

Consignments of chaff have not been so heavy this week, the rain having affected deliveries somewhat. Prices, however, remain unchanged. The demand is still confined to prime samples, medium and inferior being neglected. Heavy supplies of potatoes continue to arrive on the market, and merchants are inclined to accept lower olfers in order to effect sales. The strike in Wellington has caused values there to take a sharp advance, put these high values can have no effect in increasing local prices. In fact, the closing in the meantime of the northern markets must cause a further weakening of the southern markets.

Eggs are in full supply. A good demand, however, exists for preserving- purposes, and prices remain unaltered.

Supplies of dairy butter arc in excess of the demand, and a further drop in prices has to be recorded. Pigs continue in keen demand.

Current wholesale prices arc ns follow: Chaff.—Prime heavy oaten sheaf, £4 to £4 ss; medium to good, £3 10s to £3 15s; inferior, £2 5s and upwards (sacks extra). Straw.-—Oaten, to £2 ss; wheaten, £2. Potatoes. —Prime table sorts, from £2 to £2 10s; medium to good, to £1 15s; inferior, £1 per ton (bags in). Hay, £3; inferior, £2 and upwards. Onions.—Japanese, in cases, 12s per case. Eggs.—Ercsh, Hgd; stamped. Is. Butter.—Dairy, 7id to 8d per lb; milled, Bjd per lb; separator in 11b pals, Q^d. Pigs.—Eaconers, 6d per lb; porkers, 6d. Bacon.—Rolls (in quantities), lOd; sides, 9^d; bams (under 20!b), Is per lb. FRUIT REPORT. The fruit market is in a rather excited state at present owing to th,c probab.bty of an absolute absence of oversea supplies consequent on the strike. A small consignment of citrus fruit arrived from Sydney on Monday, and realised high prices, oranges ranging from 14s 6d to 17s bd per case, and mandarins from 5s up to 14s. A small lino of Adelaide fruit came to band by the Melbourne steamer on Tuesday. The oranges in the shipment brought 16s to 17s 6d, and the lemons from 16s to 17s 6d

Only a portidn of the Fiji shipment ol bananas could be transhipped to the Maitai at Wellington. These realised extremely high rates —from 15s 3d to 22s 6d per case. About 1200 oases of Caifornian apples were landed from the Maitai, and the bulk of those have gone into retailers’ hands. Prices ranged from 13s to 14s 6d per case. A consignment of 350 cases of Tasmanian apples was landed by Tuesday’s steamer. Sturmons brought 8s 9d for small, up to 13s for choice. Small lots of Canterbury are still coming forward, prices ruling for these from 10s 6d to 11s 6d per case.

Fairly good supplies of asparagus are now reaching the market, and arc fetching from 4s to 6s 9d per dozen bunches. One 11b pottle of strawberries represents the first of this fruit for the season. The fruit was grown in Alexandra, and was secured by the proprietor of a Dunedin tea room for the sum. of ss. It is anticipated, that next week will see fair quantities of Alexandra-grown strawberries on the market.

A very nice line of Peninsula-grown potatoes 'was sold to-day, and brought 7iy! per lb under tho hammer. Small lots of Auckland-grown have also been disposed of during tho week, prices ranging from Id to lid par lb, according to quality and condition Further supplies of Aucklandgrown, however, are now cut off till such time as arrangements arc_ made to take up the carrying of cargo again. Tho first of tho green peas for tho season have arrived, several small bags arriving from Canterbury. These brought 9d per lb. Plentiful supplies of vegetables wore on offer at the sale rooms yesterday and today, but this fact notwithstanding a sharp rise took place in prices, for cauliflowers and cabbages especially, values for these

showing an advance of 50 per cent, oi those ruling last week. A few pounds of locally-grown hothou-' tomatoes were put on the market durin the week, and realised from 2s 3d to 2 4d per lb. The following are the current wholesale prices:— Oranges.—Sydney, market bare of supplies. , ~ _ Bananas.— Rarotongan, 13s to 14s; Suvan, 15s 3d to 22s 6d. ~ Apples.—Canterbury cookers, 10s 6d to 11s 6d; mdclium, 9=; Kiturmcrs, 10s to 12s 6d; Tasmanian, 10s 9d to 13s; American, 13s to 14s 6d. Pears. —Christchurch Winter Nelis, from cool store, 8s to 9s per box. Lemons.—Market bare; nominally 17s. Mandarins. —None available. Cucumbers. —Auckland hothouse, 9s to per dozen; wanted. Passion Fruit.—Scarce, 10s 3d. Pineapples.—Choice, 10s 6d to 12s; medium' 5s to 8s 6d; none offering. Honey. —New season *s, in 1 Gib tins, 4> per tin; bulk, 3£d to 4d; packets, 3s to 3a 3d per dozen; bottles, 8s per dozen. Cut flowers realise payable prices. Vegetables.—Cabbage, Is 9d to 3s 6d per dozen; sacks, up to ss. Lettuce, Is 6d to 3s per case. Cauliflowers: Prices higher, os to 8s per dozen; sacks up to 9s. Table carrots, 8d to Is 2d per dozen bunches. Turnips, 8d to Is per dozen bunches swedes. Is per cental. Celery, scarce. 4d to 8d per bundle. Artichokes. Is lOd to 3s per box. Radishes. 6d to lOd per dozen. Rhubarb. 12s to 14s per cwt; supply short of demand. IMPORT MARKET. Some 400 cases of the new season’s salmon, transhipped from the Marama, arrived here by the Maitai. Consequent on the shortage of sugar, resulting from the strike, wholesale merchants have advanced the price from £lB 10s to £24 a ton —an increase of £5 10s per ton. The probability is that there wdll be no supplies from Auckland within the next fortnight, even if the strike should be settled within two or three days. Country merchants have been disappointed in not being able to get their orders filled by local merchants, and have had to follow on the procedure now being adopted by town grocers and reduce their sales to not more than 12ib of sugar to one customer. It is understood that there is a parcel of Java sugar aboard tho Ulirnaroa, but as this vessel was not allowed to discharge cargo for Dunedin, the sugar will bo either put off at Bluff or at Melbourne. Advice received from Smyrna under date September 30 states that heavy rains have inflicted considerable damage on the sultana crop. Tho estimated crop at the date mentioned stood at 40,000 to 45,000 tons, and of this total it was reckoned that 8000 to 10,000 tons had been damaged by rains, and probably from 3000 to 5000 tons stained by damp to a greater or less extent. About 50,000 tons is an average crop. The writer of tho advice says the tall of rain has been unprecedented within the past 30 or 40 years. White Rose and Tea Rose kerosene, benzine, and motor spirit have been increased in price by 2d per case. _ The prices of California fruits have made a considerable jump, all lines having been advanced by practically 8s per cwt. Quotations by local merchants for the now fruits are more or less nominal in the meantime. There has been a good demand for old figs lately, in view of the high cost of the new season’s, which are due to arrive about the middle of November.

A parcel of new season’s Jordan almonds arrived by the Melbourne boat. They are quoted at 2s 3d per lb. Tho price of ship’s lime juice has been advanced, quarts now being sold at 9s 6d per dozen. A parcel of Halley’s sardines, sixteenths, arrived on the market by the last Melbourne boat. Th© following lines are short on tho market at present in consequence of the waterside workers' strike: —Bell’s Royal vestas, Gear Company’s assorted meats, corned beef, pastes, and Capstan tobacco. Duryea’s maiz'ena, which was to arrive by tho Northern, is held up in Wellington. Prunes are completely out of the market. The hold-up at Wellington of • the Dorset has caused a shortage of standard iron and certain sizes of roofing iron. Another effect of the strike is to put up tho prices of fencing standards to £l2 10s per ton. agricultural and pastoral NEWS. Mt. Dasher Estate is now almost free of rabbits (says the Oamaru Mail). Some years ago its year’s kill was 100,000. Today the rabbits arc hard to find. Persistent endeavour has met with its reward, end over the whole of its 52,000 acres the rabbits have practically disappeared. Although rain has been frequent during tho past month or so (says the North Otago Times), and the crops find pasturage have never bad a better start, the nor’-westers

if the past week drew much of the mo:surc out of the ground, and left vegetaion in a wilted condition. The rain of .Vednesday and Thursday will, however, epair all the damage done by the hot winds, and farmers will still be able to congratulate themselves _on a fine commencement in their year’s work. In a flock of English Leicester hoggets recently shorn by Mr C. N. Threlkeld, at Inglewood. Flaxton, the average clip was 17ib each. This shows what a splendid season it has been for the wool growers. Mr George Stewart, of Gorge road, has a cow which, about a month ago, gave birth to four calves (says the Wyndham Herald). One calf is being reared. Had he been about he could have saved two more. The sire was a pure Holstein and the dam an ordinary crossbred. The New Zealand Dairy Association distributed amongst its suppliers on October 21 the sum of ±141,602 18s 2d. This payment covered butter-fat supplied during September. The corresponding payment last year was £37,096 10s lid. Thus the increase for the month as compared with last year was £4506 7s 3d. A Waimate County farmer claims to have completely killed the gorse along his road frontage by rolling it with a traction engine. The grass grub is reported to have aga:n made its appearance on farms in the neighbourhood of Masterton. This is said to be due to the excessive rain of the past month. A return recently published by the Freight Reduction Committee, which had its origin among the settlers of the \Vairarapa, show's that since the committee was formed a saving of over £2,000,000 in freights on wool has been secured to the producers of the dominion. The entries for the forthcoming Metropolitan Show at Christchurch, which closed on Saturday, indicate that there will bo a general all-round increase in all departments. The cattle classes will bo par. ticularly well patronised, for there will be representatives of all breeds with the exception of Highland cattle. A distinct novelty at the show will be the appearance of five bullock teams.