THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3149, 22 July 1914, Page 20

THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Friday evening. The European wheat market continues in a dull condition. Wheat is quoted to-day in Sydney a buyers Zq lOd, sellers 3s. 10f,d (last week 3s lOd to 3s 10£d); Adelaide, 3s 9d to 3s 10jd (3s 9d); Melbourne, 3s 10id to 3s 10gd (3s 10-gd). To the world’s markets the progress of the crops in the Northern Hemisphere has been the centre of interest. Apart from some momentary firmness owing to the dry weather in Russia and England, the huge American crops have been depressing values. The winter crop of the United Static s now being garnered under favourable conditions, and promises to easily surpass all previous records. Generally the European crops appear to be progressing favourably. Shipments from the world’s producing countries last week were considerably less than the previous week’s total, and the quality at present afloat for Europe is light in comparison with previous years. Business in Australian cargoes (says the Australasian) has been stagnant. The local wheat market is not strong, and there is very little business nassing. Millers are holding out for lower prices, while on the other hand farmers are sticking out for full values. The importation of flour , from Australia—especially to the North Island—is having an effect on the operations of millers hero. On the prices at present being asked for wheat, millers are finding it difficult to compete with the imported article. A considerable amount of wheat is still held by farmers in the stock, especially in North Otago and South Canterbury, but there is not a great deal now left in farmers’ hands in the south. Velvet is worth about 4s Id, red sorts 4s, and Tuscan 3s lid to 3s llgd, sacks extra, on trucks, Dunedin. Good whole fowl wheat is quoted at 3s lOd to 3s lid. The tariff of the New Zealand Flour and Produce Agency Company is as follows; Flour: Sacks (200ib), £lO 10s per ton; 1001 b bags, £11; 501 b bags, £ll ss; 251 b bags, £li 10s. Bran, £4 ss. Pollard. £6. Pearl barley, £l4 per ton.. Oatmeal, £l2 10s. There has been a little inquiry for oats from London during the past few* days, but the prices that are being offered arc not very enticing, and it is not thought that many sales have gone through. Inquiries, too, were being received from Australia,-but very little business resulted, and the inquiry has now ceased. The North Island continues to draw supplies of low grade oats from Canterbury, although a few small lots of bettor grade oats have recently been secured for the northern market, but not sufficient to affect the present dull position. There is practically nothing offering from the country, and it is not expected that any great amount will now come forward from there till the ad'-ent of spring thrashing. Stocks in the towns are light. A Gartons are worth about 2s Id to 2s and B’s Is lid to 2s, f.0.b., s.i PRODUCE REPORT. Prime samples of chaff are not too plentiful, and consequently a better demand exists for these sorts. Medium quality—of which there is plenty on offer—is now meeting with a better inquiry. . There has boon little or no change in the potato market during the week. There are plenty of poor quality tubers on offer, but the demand is confined to prime samples. Heavy consignments of eggs have been arriving during the week, and the market ' is a little easier. _ The onion market is in a rather unsatisfactory condition, owing to tire quantity of poor samples on offer. High prices are obtainable for choice quality. The market is rather bare of supplies of dairy butter. Consignments of pigs have been more plentiful of late. Current wholesale prices arc as follow: Chaff. —Prime oaten sneaf £3 5s to £5 10s; medium to good, £2 10s to £3 (sacks extra). . Potatoes.—Choice, to £4 5s per ton; medium to good, £3 to £3 10s (sacks in). Straw. —Oaten, "to £2; wheaten, £1 15s. Hay. —£3; inferior, £2 and upwards. Onions. —Prime Canterbury, to £5 10s. Eggs. —Fresh, Is 4d to Is sd; stamped, Is 5d to Is 6d. Butter. —Dairy, lOd per lb ; milled, lOd to 10),d per lb; separator, in lib packets, lid. Pigs.—Baconers, 51 d per lb ; porkers, s ld per lb Bacon.—Rolls (in quantities), to 9£d; sides, 9*d; hams, lOd to 10id per lb.

FRUIT REPORT. The cold 'weather is having a quietening effect on the fruit trade. Moderate consignments of apples are still coming forward from Roxburgh, Alexandra, Oantex-

bury, and Nelson. Thu week about 450 cases' of Tasmanian apples were landed, under the decreased duty, but the inspector did not pass them until a large proportion had been subjected to fumigation. This treatment entailed a heavy expense- upon the consignees and shippers,- as in addition to the fumigation charge and the labour required, the fruit was damaged to some extent by the extra handl.ng, and had to be. sold at considerably under cost price. It is quite likely that the occurrence will stop the further importation of Tasmanian apples, as shippers will not feel inclined to run the risk of having their fruit again held up. Under the circumstances the local market for dessert apples will probably be short, unless any are being held b 7 growers, . Pears are very scarce, no dessert sorts being available in the market at present. A few cooking apples are available, and are realising from 2d to 2£d per lb. A shipment of Rarotongan fruit is xpected to arrive on Monday. According to advice received there arc 3185 cases of oranges and 507 oases of bananas. These consignments should be readily placed. Importers are asking Ss 6d per case for oranges, and from 10s to 12s per for the bananas. It is expected, however, that the prices for oranges will recede owing to the quant.ty to be landed. Some fine samples of cauliflowers, from Canterbury and the Pen usula, were disposed of at auction during the week, and realised high rates. A few Peninsula-grown potatoes have come forward, and are selling at 2d per lb. > . The following are current wholesale prices:— Apples.—Cooking, good, tp 2|d; second quality, 4s to 6s; Nelson Epp’s Seedling, 6s 6d to 7s 6d; Alexandra Scarlet Nonpareil, Cleopatra, Jonathan, 3J.d per lb; Tasmanian Scarlets, 10s per case (repacked); Sturmers, 8s 6d to 10s; short supplies; Canterbury and- Nelson, 8s 6d. Mandarins, 12s to 18s per gin. Marmalade oranges, 10s to 12s 6d. Lemons.—Mildura and Adelaide, 13s 6d to 15s. Pineapples, 10s to 15s. Passions, 7s to 10s. Tomatoes. —Practically finished; local hothouse, 8d to Sd. Pears.—Choice Winter Nelis, worth up to 4d; Josephine, 3gd; . others, 2d to 2^d; cooking, 2d to 2sd. Pears are wanted. Oranges.—Rarotongan, repacked, 8s 6d to 10s; short supply; large consignments arriving Monday. Bananas.—Ripe, 2gd to per lb; green sold at 9s to 11s. Vegetables.—ln moderate supply. Cabbages, Is to 3s 6d per dozen; sacks, Is to 3s. Lettuce, up to 9d per dozen. Cauliflowers, 2= 6d to 4s 6d per dozen for medium; choice, 5s to 7s 6d; 4s 6d to 9s per sack. Table carrots, 4d to 6d per dozen bunches; 2s 6d to 3s per cental bag. Turnips, 4d to 6d per dozen bunches; garden swedes. Is 9d to 2s 3d per sack (plentiful). Celery, 4d to 9d per bundle. Marrows, 6s to 7s per sack; wanted. Pumpkins, dull sale, 3s to 4s per cwt. IMPORT MARKET. A shipment of rocksalt, also Imperial fine and. coarse, is being landed ex Delphic. A parcel of Crossfield’s pink carbolic soap, which has been unprocurable on the market for somo time, is being landed ex the Northern. Clothes pegs continue in short supply. Stocks of ginger, packed in China, are not too plentiful, but parcels packed in New Zealand are available. A number of Morton’s linos, which have got into small compass, are on board the Tari, due to arrive hero next week. Stocks of 1 arioot beans are in short supply. A parcel of the new season’s Brazil nuts has come to hand ex the Northern. Prices rule at 8d to 9d per lb, according to quan&olden Eagle cut tobacco, in l|oz tins, is now on the market. Case lots are quoted at 3s lOd per lb, 501 b lots 4s, and loss 4s Id (in bond). Further supplies of Creamota, in cartons, will arrive on the market on Monday. Private cablegrams state that the stocks of tea in London bonded warehouses, according to the London Tea Brokers’ Association figures, are 2g millions larger than at the corresponding time last year, Ceylons being slightly less, Indians about 6A millions more, and Chinas substantially less. The shortage in stocks of Chinas is considered to be the reason for the extreme prices now ruling in Foochow, which local buyers will not follow. The general opinion expressed in wellinformed ciroes (says the Melbourne Argus) is that the Sugar Company’s reduction in prices arrived just in time to prevent a large business being dons in Java sugar with the manufacturers. It is generally thought that some of the retail grocers purchased a fair quantity. On Juno 4, Czarnikow’s London circular stated that Java quotations were getting a little nearer to Western ideas. The price at which the Java sugar was offered to manufacturers here would give a cost of a little over £lB, duty paid, net. Private cablegrams from Singapore advise a steady market for Penang seed tapioca, and a slightly lower price for medium pearl. Peppers and nutmegs are barely steady, and the quotation for mace is unchanged. According to the latest private mail advices from British Columbia a full pack of ilb flat salmon is expected, but the quantity of lib flats will be small. Owing to the fairly large quantity sold to the United Kingdom, it is expected that the prices for Australasia will be issued a little earlier than in recent years. Messrs Gillandcrs, Arbuthnot, and Company’s circular, of Calcutta, June 12, states that the market for jute goods has slumped in an extraordinary manner. Rumours had been spread that short time was likely to be extended up till the end of June next year, but daily the general opinion had grown that nothing would come of the proposal, and mills having shown the -weakness of their position forward, had been willing to accept contracts at almost any rate, within reason, which might bo placed before them. . . . Jute has been weaker, and it appears likely that the new crop will be a bumper one.