THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3331, 16 January 1918, Page 13

THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Friday evening.

Tho spirit in which the food position of her European allies is viewed by the financial interests of tho United States is expressed thus by tho National City Bank of New York:—"Tho winter wheat acreage for tho ensuing season is being increased over the whole of the United States. If weather conditions are favourable the largest crop of wheat ever grown should be harvested this coming season. The Government guarantees 2dol (8s 4d) to tho farmers, and- in view of the efforts Great Britain is making to become more nearly, self-sustaining, and the stimulus to production in all neutral countries, it is quite possible that the Washington Government may have to take a loss. If it does the money will be well spent." The following extract from tho evidence given by the British Wheat Commission in regard to its operations should open the eyes of tho peoples in this and the other States _ to the poor bargain made by the Imperial Government in purchasing grain from Australia: —"The largest transaction made by the commission, states tho London Times, was 14,000,000 quarters of wheat, bought direct from tho Australian Govern•ment. involving a sum of about £26,000,000. Shortly after the contract was made the shipping scarcity became acute, and the gi-eat bulk of this\vheat is still in Australia. The t wheat is now being converted into flour,' because as flour (1) it will keep longer; (2) if and when snipped it -will occupy less tonnage space; ana (3) it will "Be ready for consumption on arrival. It is to be feared, however, that much of the flour must be wasted if the necessary ships for its transport are not soon provided—a contingency -which seems not to have been sufficiently taken into, account. As the guarantee of the quality of the wheat stored expires on December 31, and as there is evidence that the storage is not satisfactory, the committee suggests that in the .event of its being found impossible to provide tonnage for export to any market, immediate steps should be taken by the Government to see whether the wheat oannot bo manufactured in Australia into some commodity capable of being preserved until it can be brought, into consumption. The commission has largely increased the reserve of wheat, and in this respect heavy financial loss seems to be inevitable. The wheat has to be stored in temporary and often unsuitable buildings, and, owing to the world scarcity, the commission imported and stored low-grade wheats unfit for long keeping. The estimate given of the probable less under this head on the year's working is £2,000,000, but the committee thinks that the figure should probably be higher." Brokers' permits to buy and soil wheat are expected' to be issued early next week, but there will not be any wheat available around this district for some time. It is reported that cutting has commenced in the Hawea distriot, and this wheat' will probably be the first on the market. In the moantimo millers are engaged in milling the latest paroel of Australian wheat, but this cargo is being quickly used up, and more wheat will soon be required. Flour is quoted at £ls a ton. Oatmeal, £2l a ton for 25's; pearl barley, £l9 10s; pollard, £7 10s (fixed by Government); bran, £4 5s (fixed by Government). Most of the business in the oat market is transacted in Canterbury, where new season's are offering at prices below tho '.a ruling here. Canterbury merchants were at firfct somewhat chary in operating in forward business, but they arg, now keen to do business on this basis, plenty of oats being now in view. Old season's B Gartons arc today obtainable at 3s 9d, f.0.b., s.i., Lyttelton, whereas the lowest quotation in Dunedin is round about 4s to 4s Id, B's 3s lOd to 3s lid. A few sales have been recorded at these prices since the holidays to merchants who require old oats. Stocks of oats in Dunedin are light, but there are a few offering from the country. Farmers are, however, not keen to accept the lower prices that merchants offer. A few samples of the new Canterbury crop have reached the local market, but these are mostly Algerians, and do not meet with a great deal of attention. Tho latest Gazette returns show that there is a carryover of old season's oats of 20 per cent, of the 1917 crop. PRODUCE REPORT.

Good quality chaff is in demand at £6 10s to £6 15s per ton (bags extra), but most of the. consignments now arriving are only of medium quality, and agents find a difficulty in placing such. The market is bare of wheaten straw, which is saleable at £2 15s to £3 per km. There is, however, not a very great demand for either oaten or wheaten. » Supplies of new season's potatoes are' in excess of requirements, and, although Id per lb was obtainable early in the week, some wholesale- merchants have now to accept £8 per ton to make a clearance. The demand for this time of the year is not very brisk. This is probably accounted for by the fact that a largo number of housekeepers are growing their own supplies. • Eggs continue to arrive freely, but wholesale agents are not having much difficulty in effecting sales. Bacon is .practically unprocurable cither in this market or from Chrietchureh. There was a larger yarding of pigs at Burnsido than last week. These met with good all-round competition, and late rates were well maintained. Best porkers sold up to Sjd per lb, and best baconers also up to B£d. Current wholesale prices are as follow: Fowl Wheat.—Australian, 7s 6d a bushel; New Zealand-grown, unprocurable. Chaff.—Primo oaten sheaf, £6 10s 'to £6 15s; medium to good, £4 to £4- 15s (sack 3 extra). Straw. —Oaten, £3 to £3 ss; wheaten, £2 15s to £3.

Eggs, Is 4d to Is sd. Butter.—Milled bulk. Is Id to Is 2d per lb; second quality. Is; dairy separator, in lib packages, Is to Is Id. Honey.—Bulk, 6d ; 101 b tins, 5s 6d. Pigs.—Baconers, 7j,d to B£d per lb; porkers, Bid. Bacon. —Rolls, local. Is 3d; Chmtchurch

rolls, ]s 3d; sides, Is 2d; hams, Is 2d; ham rolls. Is 3d. FRUIT REPORT.

Agents have been notified by the Department of Agriculture that its officers are to be oven more particular in passing locallygrown apples and pears. Any apples affected with codlin moth or blights will bo destroyed. It therefore behoves growers to be very careful when packing their fruits to see that they are perfectly clean. Consignments \>l fruit from tho Central continue to increase The greater portion of tho consignments comprise early peaches. Tho early peaches are now about finished, however, and. it is expected that prices for the main crop will be more even. Apricots are . not so plentiful, and bring fairly high prices. Dessert apples and pears from, the Otago Central are now on the market. Advioes from Canterbury state that the new season's apples will also be on the local market shortly. The advent of the new season's apples is having an effect on the American apples, the market for which is very weak. Consignments of Americans are prettv well cleared out of first hands, but retailers are still holding fairly large stocks.

A few- outdoor tomatoes have arrived from Nelson. The quality, however, is not equal to that of Canterbury outdoor-grown, and as a result the Nelson tomatoes are bringing lower prices than those from Canterbury. Largo consignments of Fiji bananas came forward during the week, but as they are rather late in the season, and there is so much stone fruit about, sales are diffi-' cult to effect. Prices are uireyen, and much lower than usual. , Current wholesale prices aro as follow: — Apples.—American, agents' ' stocks about finished. Clearing sales made a't from 5s to 12s per case. Other kinds, 14s to 15s. /Oranges.—Califoraiaji, slow of eaio at 27s 9d tc- 30s. Lemons. —Adelaide, 21s to 255. Cucumbers.—LocaL 5s to 9s. ,

Green gooseberries, about finished. Central, 3d to per lb; cherry plums. 2d to .3d. Apricots.—Cases, to 4d; for jam, 2£d to. 3d: crates,, to sd. . Peaohes.—Cases, 2d to 2£d; crates, 3£d to 4d per lb. . Black.currants; 4d .to s|d.; nearly finished. Tomatoes. —Local, to Is; Christchurch, B£d to 9id. • Grapes,- Is 5d to Is -6d; extra, to 2s 3d. Raspberries, 7d _to per lb; pottle3, up to Is 2|d. Green peas, to -3id. New Potatoes.—Peninsula, .to If d; Oamaru and Christchurch, Id.

Cabbages.—Choice, up «b 3s per dozen; inferior, Is to 2s per sack. Cauliflowers, up to 6s- per dozen; medium, 2s 6d to 4s per dozen. Lettuce, Is 6d to 2s 6d per case; choice, Is 6d per dozen. Parsnips, Is to Is 6d per dozen. Carrotsi New,-Is 3d to Is 6d per dozen bunches. Spring onions, 4d to od per bundle. Radishes, 4d to 6d per dozen bunches.

MERCHANDISE MARKET,

Prices of all kinds of merchandise continue to advance. The cost of most lines is being seriously felt by those grocers ! who are not able to carry big, stocks, but 1 have to come on the market to buy from ' " hand to mouth," as it were. j All sizes of pineapples are in short sup- . ply. I Oalifornian dried and canned fruits show a further increased cost. The export from America of apricots,' prunes, raisins, figs, | and sardines has been ' prohibited, except under permit. The embargo refers 'to all unshipped orders, and it is advised that permits will be very hard to obtaim A further advance has taken place in the J price of most of Reckitt's lines. j Twine shows an increased cost. Black Silk stovo polish, which was short j in the market, is again available. Prices < show an increase of 6d per dozen tins. j Nugget boot polish has again been ad- , vanced in price. _• I Etsom salts are now quoted at 5s per box* A parcel has just been landed. ; Morton's curry powder, which has been i short for some time, is again available. The quotation runs out at 10s 6d per dozen. A shipment of Wallace herrings should reach the market shortly. Clarence cigarettes have been advanced to 28s 6d per 10C0 in bond. Hudson's powders, just landed, show a heavy increase in cost, mainly the result of j the great increase in freights. A shipment of clothes pegs has arrived. These are quoted at 7s to 7s 6d per box. All jams have.been advanced £d per lb. Bon Ami is now Consignments of salmon, transhipped at northern ports, have now come to hand. The fish shows an even higher cost than was anticipated by merchants. Soda crystals are very scarce. The price to-day is 19s. per cwt. Ship's limejuice, squats, has been advanced to 17s per dozen. _ • A cargo of Big Tree benzine is due to arrive within the nox't few days. Ginger beer corks show a smart advance in price. A parcel of Swedish safety matches wa9 landed this week. Prices are quoted as high as 6s 6d per gross. Advices from Capetown state that in consequence of America having ceased to ship staves merchants will be unable to execute orders for bulk brandies until the war is over. Bottles are, however, regularly arriving in South Africa, although prices are much higher than formerly, and orders for case brandy and wines could therefore be filled. Some merchants are quoting hani3 at Is 2d and others at Is 3d per lb. Borax, jelly crystals, soap, and many other lines too numerous to mention have a firm market. CANTERBURY MARKETS. GRAIN AND PRODUCE REPORTS. (Lyttclton Times, January 12.) Whilst there are a few fresh samples of grass seed and oats arriving on the market each day, 'the volume of .business reported is not yet sufficient to establish a market price, and the season can hardly be said to have fairly opened. The showery weather is having the effect of delaying the harvesting operations, and a continuance of the present we't spell cannot fail to have an injurious effect upon the crop 3 that have been out. Italian ryegrass promises to be very plentiful if tho weather favours the harvesters, and tho same may bo said of perennial ryegrass. Sales of each variety have been mado at 3s foi peod fair quality seed, but to-day this price was refused by growers, who preferred to hold for an advance. Merchants are not at present prepared to advance beyond tho 3s limit, except for heavy seed, for which 3s 3d could bo obtained; but SO far tho hulk

<if the samples offered is light. Tho Algerian oats coming forward are generally of fair quality, and a few sales have seen made at 2s 9d to 3s, on 'trucks, county stations. Good Gartons have sold at W. Whito oats are not plentiful. The scokat'oot market is firm at tho previouslyquoted prices of 9£d to lid; but no new busincij is reported. No business has been transacted, as fax as can bo ascertained, in the naw season's barley, which is exjpectee] to bo produced in about the same quantities as last year. Old chaff is still worth £5 for prime; new chaff £4 for immediate delivery, and £3 10s forward. Wheat business has not yet commenced, nor havo tho brokers received their permits. The prices to be paid foe tho now season's milling wheat are: —January, February, and March, 5s lOd; April, 5s 10id; May, 5s lid; June, 5s Hid; July, 03; August, 6s Oid, f.0.b., South Island ports; North Island, 4d additional. TIMARU MARKETS. (Christchurch Press, January 12.) "With wearisome monotony it has again to be recorded that "all is quiet so far as wheat is concerned, so quiet that there is nothing doing. New wheat is- anxiously awaited, but it will be some few weeks before any locally-grown is available An odd lino or two of new oats was on offer this week; but tho oats were not grown in this district. The samples represented fair Algerians and good Gartons from the Ashburton district. For tho former 3s 3d was asked by the grower, but so far as could bo ascertained jt was not given, buyers' ideas of values being about 2s 9d on trucks, country stations, though it is possiblo that tho first few parcels may command more than this, as was tho caso with tho lino of Gartons referred to, these having been sold at 3s 3d at a 2|d station for immediate delivery. Gartons aro in bettor request than Algerians, of which thero is expected to be a fairly large quantity thrashed in Canterbury—more, i n fact, than will bo required for tho North Island; henco values aro expected to recede. Feeding Algerians tako a secondary place to white oab at a re-

duction in value of from 3d to_ 4d per bushel. Old oatsheaf chaff is in short supply, and the demand for shipping is being filled from Blenheim and 'the North Island oat-growing districts. New chaff fit for shipping is not expected to be on the market for two or three months. Small lines of ryegrass are now On offer; but buyers are offering low prices, as the quality is not of tho best. "Values are quoted at 2s to 2s 6d per bushel for lines containing a quantity of waete, whilst cleaner samples of heavy-weight seed should command aoout 3s on trucks. More may be given in exceptional cases for prompt delivery.. Reports from Akaroa concerning cocksfoot are to the effect that prices are likely to rule high, and sales aro reported as high as Is per lb. There is a good deal of cocksfoot in South Canterbury if labour can he found to harvest it. The potato crops are looking well, but will not bo fit to dig for some time yet. Early varieties are being retailed at lid per lb.