THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3291, 11 April 1917, Page 15

THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Thursday evening. Crop conditions throughout the -world are reported by Broomhall under tho date of February 6 to be as foilows:— _ " U.S.A.—Weather in tho winter belt keeps very cold, and snow is lacking in some parts; Kansas and Oklahoma continue to Sompiain of dryness. Receipts are general! well maintained, and liberal for the time Of year. Canada.—Low temperatures proTail; receipts at Winnipeg relatively fair and much larger than year ago. RussiaCrops in winter quarters; no change to report. Argentina.—Good rains helped maize crop. No change in the indications of wheat and oats outturn. India.—Weather favourable and cron prospects good. France. —Weather severe, and feared that some weak plants may bo damaged. Germany.— Severe frost increasing food difficulties; nothing fresh about crops. Italy.—Weather been cold and rainy; complaints of wheat crop almost general. Spain.—Crops had sufficient moisture; outlook good. Prices keep high. North Africa.—Further rain fallen, crop reports are favourable. InMorocco, season's rainfall very abundant." The depression in tho Melbourne gram and produoe markets is assuming a serious aspect (says tho Australasian of March 31). Tightness of the money market, the ample (Supplies, the shortage of storage accommodation, and the absenco of freight for oversea export are all very present factors. Were freight available for oats and barley, for instance, it is likely that values would advance Is per bushel. Under normal Conditions, the large storage warehouses in the city and adjoining suburbs are availahlo for the accommodation of grain at this tLne of tho year, but the shortage of freight is retarding the movement of the wool clip to such an extent that the selling houses are obliged to restrict grain consignments. Several of the larger firms are obliged to almost entirely abandon their grain departments while this congestion continues, while others have notified city owners that they must remove their stocks forthwith. During tho week there has been a general retrograde movement in produce values. Little wheat is on offer in tho local market. Millers cannot say why the offerings are so short from tho south, unless it is that tho wet weather has interfered with thrashing. Some farmers, it is understood, tiro inclined to hold off for prospective prioes higher than those fixed by the Government. Millers are trying to buy from ihe north, but •with little result, as tho Samples shown are usually second grade, but first grade prices arc asked. There has been a considerable demand on tmllers for wheat for seed purposes, put owing to tho shortage which millers are experiencing they cannot meet these Orders. It is pointed out that the Government is asking farmers to sow wheat, but that there is a likelihood that those farmers Who are anxious to follow the Government's Request may not bo ablo to obtain all the Socessary seed wheat. Representations on iq matter havo been forwarded to the Government, and also to tho Board of Trade.

Oatmeal is quoted at £2O a ton for 25's; pearl barley, £2O 10s; pollard, £6 10s (fixed by Government); bran, £4 (fixed by Government).

Tho price of flour is fixed at £ls, f.0.b., by the Government. Tho oats market is about" Id a bushel weaker since last week, and fairly largo parcels are now offering from tho south. Owing to the landing in the North Island '6f Australian-grown Algerian oats, and the fact that North Island merchants will not bay the prices asked hero, there is not much shipping business passing. A Gartons may bo quoted at 3s 6d on trucks, Country sidings, and B's Id less. PRODUCE REPORT. Tho chaff market has firmed during the ■week, consequent on a shortage of consignments. Tho demand is for local requirements only. There is not much demand for oaten or wheaton straw. Potatoes have eased in price, and are tlpw worth from £5 to £5 ss, ox store, DunGclin, for prime table lines. Canterbury 13 still under-quoting tho southern markets for business to tho North Island. Nevertheless a fair quantity had been sold to the North Island, but freight could not bo The arrivals on tho week have imjoh exceeded the demand, and considerable quantities aro on offer at tho prices named. Eggs aro still quoted wholesale at high prices. Supplies of both eggs and butter have cased off, and are not sufficient to Baeet requirements. Bacon is in short supply, and any consignments meet with a ready sale. Current wholesale prices aro as follow: Chaff.—Prime oaten-sheaf, £5 5s to £5 Jfe; medium to good. £3 15s to £4 5s (sacks extra). Straw.—Oaten. £3: wheaton, £2 15s. Potatoes, £5 to £5 -ss. Canterbury onions, to 9s cwt Eggs, Is iOd to 2s Butter.—Milled bulk, to Is 3d per lb; ?airy and separator, in lib packets. Is Id to s 3d. Pigs.— B'aconers, Sd per lb; porkers, 9d. Bacon.—-Rolls, local and Christchurch, Is 3dj sides, Is Id; hams, Is 2d; ham rolls, la 3d. FRUIT REPORT. Agents report a fairly busy week. Tomatoes nro now in shorter supply, and tho demand has greatly, improved. Prices far OnTistchnreh outsido crrown have advanced from 2d to 2Ad per lb and over. Otago .Oentral are quoted at from to 4d per

lb. A line of Ohristchurch-grown tomatoes was sold to arrivo this morning at 2-|d to 3id. Reports to hand stato that tho cold weather in Canterbury will probably reduce the supplies from this quarter. Apples and pears are not too plentiful. Any good varieties are quickly sold at full market rates. The following are the current wholesale prices: Oranges.—Tahiti, 12s 6d to 14s per case—the latter being for repacks. Apples.—Otago Central, dessert, 2d to 3d, cooking, V 4 d to 2d J jelly, 7s to 9s per cwt; Canterbury, 5s to 6s per case; dessert, 7s to 9s. Peaches.—ln cases, 1-Jd to 2£d 5 choice, 3£d to 4fd. Lemons.— CJalifornian, 25s per double case; 16s 6d a half-case. Bananas.—Green Fijis, 17s to 20s j Rarotongan, over-ripe, 4s to 8s per case. Tomatoes.—Christohurch, outside, 2£d to '3£d per lb; rough 2s 6d to 3s 6d per case; Otago Centrals, 2±d to 4d; local hothouse, 3id to sid. Blackberries, 4d to 4£d per lb. Cucumbers. —Local hothouse, 3s to 6s per dozen. Pears, Id to 2£d—better demand. Grapes, 63d to Is Igd. Cabbages, Is 6d to 2s per dozen ; Is to 3s 6d per sack Cauliflowers, 2s 6d to 3s 6d per sack; 2s 6d to 6s per dozen. Lettuce, od to Is per dozen. "Vegetable marrows, 3s 6d to 5s a case; 2s to 4s per dozen. Potatoes. —Local to 9s 4d per cwt, in cases; Taieri-grown, in sacks, 6s fcd to 7s per cwt. Green peas, l£d to 3d for choice. AGFSSCULTURAL SHOWS. CARTERTON, April 5. At a meeting of the Wairarapa and East Coast Pastoral and Agricultural Society today tho following resolution was passed: — " In the opinion of this committee it would be inimical to the interests of the dominion and the Empire if pastoral and agricultural associations in New Zealand were to suspend their shows." The resolution wa3 moved by Sir Walter Buchanan and carried, with one dissentient. There was a very large attendance. DUNEDI.N MARKETS. FARM AND DAIRY PRODUCE. Mr B. J. M'Arthtjr (successor to Messrs M'llroy Bros.), George street, reports paying for produce during the week ending the 10th inst., as follows: Stamped fresh Eggs I Honey (bulk), s£d lb 1/8 doz Honey (section), 7/- doz Salt Butter, 1/2 lb | Honey (Cartons).H/- doz. Sep. Butter, 1/10 lb | Beeswax, l/i. SOUTHLAND MARKETS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) INVERCARGILL, April 5. The value of oats has boen dropping considerably on the local market, but no buying business has been done by merchants at the new rates. Farmers base their ideas of values on tho fact that crops locally are so much under those of former years, although a small minority are well aware of the fact that oats are coming into New Zealand from Australia. The great majority are probably not awaro of this fact, or pay no attention to it. Unfortunately also for them, Australian oats this season are of a nicer appearance than usual, being almost as good value as locally-grown oats; so that, to meet this competition, prices must come down on our market; that, at all events, is the opinion of merchants. A few lines of chaff have been disposed of during tho week at something under what was the value a week ago. Present values for good quality old chaff are from £4 to £4 5s on trucks. Now chaff is unsaleable at present, not yet having been in stock a sufficient time to mature. The colour will undoubtedly bo _ against it, though tho actual feeding qualities will not be impaired. Tho demand from tho north for ryegrass still holds good, more particularly from merchants for undressed seed, possibly with the mtention of mixing with our heavier Southland seed tho lighter northern-grown seed, although lately there has not been the same demand that existed almost entirely for heavy weights. Tho hemp market is in much tho same position as at last report, value being unaltered, and practically no business passing for the simplo reason that sellers early In the season make contracts for their estimated outputs.

OAMARU MARKETS. {Feom Oue Own Corhesponjeient.) OAMARU, April 7. The holidays have materially reduced the opportunities for business in this market during the week. So far as wheat is concerned, this has not been a matter of much moment, for offerings from the country have fallen off greatly of late, and it is quito clear that tho greater part of the season's production of this cereal has now passed out of the hands of growers. Practically all tho larger linos have been disposed of, though a few of fair dimensions have yet to come forward. Though a number of sales havo been reported during the week, nono of theso havo exceeded 500 sacks, and tho general range has been from that figure down to 250 sacks. As in previous weeks, velvet has largely predominated, other varieties in tho aggregate forming only a modest part of the whole. The do? duction to be obtained from the fact is that more wheat was grown in tho autumn and early winter than in the spring, and that it did much better.

Oats havo weakened very perceptibly _as a natural result of tho arrival of Australian oats into the markets of tho dominion. Merchants aro very shy buyers, because of the uncertainty as to the future, and only a few odd lots of light feed quality changed hands during tho week at from 3s Id to 3s 3d net at country stations. Tho stocks held here are, however, comparatively small, with a very meagre proportion of oats of good quality. There is still no indication of business in potatoes commencing in real earnest. Digging on a comprehensive scale has not yet been entered upon, and only odd lots have been sold during the week, tho price paid being £4 10s net on trucks-