THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3215, 27 October 1915, Page 15

THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Friday evening. Latest London cablegrams state that the wheat market is quiet. Although wheat is quoted as low as 4e a bushel in America, and there are no signs of shortage in supplies in any part of the world, as anticipated in the early stages of the war, there is still the shipping difficulty to bo faced. Countries allied with Great Britain may expect some preference in the matter of freights because Britain controls the seas; Canada has apparently made some arrangement with the Imperial Government for harvest transport; the United States is likely to have some consideration in wheat shipment as a friendly neutral ; but what arrangement (if any) the Commonwealth Government has made with the British authorities has not yet been made public (says the Melbourne Weekly Times). Until the solution of the shipping problem has been disclosed no reliable market here can bo quoted. The local wheat market continues in a dragging condition. Millers still refrain from buying unless to fill immediate requirements, such as lines for mixing, and tor these thev _aro offering as low as 4s fid lor velvet, cx store, Dunedin, red chaff 4s <4d to 4s 3d. There is not much wheat offering, as farmers are not willing to accept current offers. Whether the wheat market can recover or not is a matter for individual opinion, but it is certain that present holders who refused up to as high as 7s per bushel in the middle of the year have made a serious monetary loss over their reluctance to part with their wheat, whereas the holders who sold have good cause to shake hands with themselves. The tariff of the Now Zealand Flour and Produce Agency Company is as follows: Sacks, £l3; lOOib bags, £l3 10s; 501 b bags, £l3 15s; 251 b bags, £l4. Pollard, £6 10s. Bran, £5 ss. Oatmeal is quoted at £l7 10s a ton for 25’s. Pearl barley, £2l 10s. Although those are the official prices of the Agency Company, it is understood tnat flour can be purchased at as low as £l2 a A Garton oats are worth up to 3s sd, f.0.b., sacks in, for small lots, and B’s 3s 4d; large linos £d less. Outside business is far from brisk, being pretty will confined to a hand-to-mouth inquiry from the North Island. The demand Irom South Canterbury and North Otago has ceased since the ‘ fine rains experienced there, as farmers in these localities are now prepared to release their holdings of oats. Stocks in local stores are getting fairly low. PRODUCE REPORT. Prime chaff is in short supply, consignments from the country being scarce. A Government order for 250 tons has come to hand, and it is reported that there may bo a little difficulty in filling the same. Opinions are conflicting whether there is a shortage of stocks held by farmers available for chaffing. Prime potatoes are scarce, and the market is very firm. A line was sold this morning at £9 10s, ex trucks. Hay and wheaten and oaten straw are in short supply. It is thought, however, that there is plenty of straw in the country districts. A consignment of brown Spanish onions, sent in from Alexandra South, was sold during the week at 15s 6d a cwt. This is stated to be the record price this season. All lines of bacon show a sharp advance in prices. Current wholesale prices are as follow: Chaff. —Prime oaten sheaf, £6 5s to £6 10s; medium to good, £4 10s to £5 (sacks extra). Potatoes. —Prime, £9 to £9 10s. Hay, £5 10s. Straw. —Oaten, to £3; wheaten, £2 to £2 10s. Eggs.—Fresh, Is 01>d to Is Id. Butter.—Dairy, Is 2d per lb; milled, to Is 2£d per lb; separator, in 11b packets, to Is 2d. Pigs.—Baconers, 6£d per lb; porkers, 6|d. Bacon. —Rolls (in quantities), lid to Is; sides, lid; hams, Is per lb; boneless hams, Is Id. FRUIT REPORT. Fruit of all descriptions is very scarce and dear. The market is now bare of apples, but a fresh shipment of Californian • —about 1200 cases —will arrive on Monday, and will be available on Tuesday morning. Reports to hand state that the fruit is of extra choice quality. Two or three small shipments of 'Neicr-n apples —in rather poor condition—have sold at from 4s to 12s 9d per case, the latter price being for Stunners. A small shipment of fruit is due to arrive, ■ex Flora, from Rarotonga, next Thursday. The shipment comprises 109 cases oranges, 117 cases bananas, and 21 cases pines. Oranges are very scarce. A small shipment of Sydney oranges arrived this week, and realised up to 23s per bushel. A parcel of Fiji bananas was also quietly brought up, realising from 15s to 17s 6d per case, green. The wet cold weather has affected the supply of cauliflowers and rhubarb, and a sharp advance in price is to bo recorded for both those commodities. The following arc the current wholesale prices:— Apples.—Dessert are in good demand (short supply). Stunners, 11s to 13s; Rome Beauty, 11s to 12s; cookers—Lord Wolsoley, lls per bushel (wanted). Consignments are promptly sold. Lemons. —Adelaide and Mildura, 20s to 22s 6d. Bare market. Bananas. —Green, 15s to 17s fid. Oranges.—Rarotongan, up to 26s fid per case; Sydney, 235. Short supply. Tomatoes.—Auckland, green, 5d to fid ; ripe, 8d to lOd. Mandarins. 16s to 20s. Passions. None offering. Pineapples.—None offering. Asparagus, 4s to 6s fid per dozen bunches. Vegetables. Good supply. Cabbage: Good, to 2s fid per dozen; sacks, le to 3s fid. Cauliflowers; Very scarce; 3s fid to 8s • fid per dozen; fis 3d to 10s fid per sack. Table carrots, 4d to fid per dozen bunches; 3a to 4s per cental. Celery, 3d to fid per bundle. Spinach, 8d to Is per dozen. Parsnips, 2s to 3s per cental bag; 4d to 8d per dozen. Leeks, 2d to 3d per bunch. Rhubarb, up to 2d per lb.

MERCHANDISE MARKET. Gcrstena has been reduced to 12s 6d per dozen. Twines now show a very high cost. Glycerine has been advanced by no less than £2B per ton. A shipment of kerosene is due to arrive here, cx the Baron Gawdon, about the end of December. Whether the shipment will arrive up to time is considered doubtful, as it is reported that the steamer has boon delayed in the Panama Canal. There has been a big advance in the quotation for the new season’s Greek currants—about £l6 a ton—since prices were first -nuned. Herring packers at Homo had been hoping against hope that they would bo able to pack a limited supply ot fish this season, but latest reports state that any chance of doing so has now passed. Quotations for ling fish were received this week by cable, but the prices nam*d are so high that it is questionable whether any orders will go forward. The market shows a decided firmness for all Californian fruits. All lines of bacon have increased in cost. A further consignment of Mildura sultanas came to hand during the week, and, as there is every prospect that there will bo a shortage of Smyrna fruit, the local market will have to depend on Mildura for its supplies. Owing to the temporary closing of the Panama Canal, shipments of American cream of tartar have been delayed. Camp and Symington’s coffee essences are at present very scarce. A shipment of Symington’s is expected next week. Broso meal is at present off the market.