THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3333, 30 January 1918, Page 12

THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Friday evening. During next week wheat brokers will receive their licenses, and thereafter they will be ready for operations as soon as threshing commences. This season there will be no forward sales, as according to the war regulations no wheat other than good milling can be purchased. If any purchases are made before threshing there is no guarantee as to the condition. At present it is rather early in this district to form any idea of the yields, but cutting is expected to commence on the Taieri next week. Fowl wheat is still to be supplied from Australia, further shipments being expected in tho near future, and these should be sufficient to keep the local market supplied till the new season's wheat is available. There has been a brisker tone in the oat market during the past week than for some time previously. This has evidently been due to the delay in harvesting operations in Canterbury owing to the bad weather. Present stocks in Dunedin are rather light, as the stores are still full of wool. Old season's A grade Gartons. have been sold from here at 4s Id, f.0.b., s.i., and B grade at 3s lid. A few lines are now being offered by growers, who are evidently clearing their barns in readiness to receive the new crop. The cutting of ryegrass is general in the south and the Central, and it is expected that this season there will be, large quantities available. A small line of exceptionally nice Italian lias been thrashed —the first for the season in this district—and the owner refused 4s on trucks for it. PRODUCE REPORT. A steadier supply of <*ood quality chaff has been coming forward, and it has met with a ready sale at £6 15s per ton. sacks extra, ex truck. Medium and inferior lots are still out of favour, and any lines arriving arc difficult to quit. ■ Wh eaten straw is in exceptionally good demand, and buyers arc experiencing some difficulty in sscuring supplies. A few trucks which arrived from the "north last week realised up to £3 10s per ton. The market has been considerably overstocked with potatoes during the week, largo supplies having come forward. Consequently prices have receded considerably and consignments of northern lots have been sold here as low as £5 per ton in order to make a clearance A proportion of the locally grown potatoes have also been found to be affected with blight, and thisbas had a depressing effect on the price. Sales of small parcels have been made at prices ranging from 3s to 4s per case, equal to from 7s to 9s per cwt. Flour is quoted at £ls a ton. Oatmeal, £2l a-ton for 25's; pearl barley, £l9 16s; pollard, £7 10s (fixed by Government); bran, £4 5s (fixed by Government). Pollard Is reported to be very scarce, but bran is in fair supply, and a better demand is expected for this .commodity in the near future. ' . ' ... Eggs have been .coming m fairly well during the week, and prices remain unchanged.' At Burnside on Wednesday a medium yarding of pigs was offered, and a clearance was effected at prices equal to late values. Best porkers realised B£d per lb, and best baconcrs from 8d to Bid per lb. Current wholesale prices are as follow: Fowl wheat.—Australian, 7s 6d a bushel; New Zealand-grown, unprocurable. Oats.—A grade Gartons, 4s Id; fair B grade, 3s lid (f.0.b., sacks in). Chaff.—Prime oaten sheaf, about £7; medium to good, £4 to £4 15s (sacks extra). Potatoes. —£5 10s to £6 per ton. Straw.—Oaten, £3 10s; wheaten, £3 ss. Eggs, Is 3d. 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, 7£d to B£d per lb; porkers, Bid. ,*-«■. ~ i"■'"' i. Bacon.—Rolls, local, Is 3d; Christchurch rolls, Is 3d; sides, Is 2d; hams, Is 3d; ham rolls, Is 3d. FRUIT REPORT. The fruit market has been exceptionally well supplied this week with apricots, peaches, plums, etc., from Central Otago, and although supplies have been heavy the demand has been keen and sales have been readily effected, with the result that prices have been fairly well maintained. A small line of cherries, which arrived from Hobart, via Invercargill, reached Dunedin in a worthless condition. Raspberries were in good supply early in tho week, but latterly supplies have fal'en off indicating that crops are about finished. Prices have therefore firmed from 5d and 6id to 7£d to-day. Large supplies of apricots reached Dunedin during the week, and met with a ready ' Peaches are in rather short supply, as the first crops aro about at an end, and until the main crop comes forward the supply will not be equal to the demand. Tomatoes are in heavy supply, particularly from Christchurch, with a fair quantity of locally hothouse grown and also a small consignment from Nelson. Prices, however ,remain firm, and good samples meet with a keen demand. Vegetables have been in fair supply, and there has been a brisk demand. Apples are in short supply, a few small consignments of cookers coming forward,

principally from Canterbury, while ono or two odd lots have also como to hand from Central Otago. These all realised good prices. ' Jargonelle pears have been coming on tho market during the week, but a quantity of these were condemned by the inspector owing to the presence of the codlin moth. Growers arc warned against sending forward infected fruit, as the department ia enforcing the regulations. Clean fruit, however, meets with a ready sale. This morning a very nice sample of William Bon Chretien pears came forward from Alexandra, and realised the handsome price of Ss 3id per lb. These were practically tho first of the season. Current wholesale prices are as follow: — Apples.—American, agents' stocks about finished. Clearing sales have been made from 5s to 12s per case. Other kinds. 14s to 15s: new season's, dessert, cookers, lid to 2d. * 0 _ Oranges.—Californian, slow of sale, at 6d to 30s. , , Lemons.—None available. Keen demand. Cucumbers.—Local, 5s to 9s; small, 3s to ss. Hobart cherries arrived in worthless condition. ■ , ~ Cherry plums, 2d to 2£d large; small, lid to 2d. '. .. Plums.—Dessert, in crates, to 4d; others, 2£d to 3d; jam, lid to 2d. ■ . Apricots—Cases. 2£d to 3id; for jam, 2d to 2^d; crates, 4d to sd. Peaches.—Cases, 3d to 4d; crates, to 5 5 d (good demand). , Tomatoes—Local, to 9£d; Chnstohurch, 8d to 9d; outside. 4£d to 6id; Nelson, to 13s per case of 241 b. Raspberries,, 6£d to 7id. Grapes, Is 3d to Is 4d. Green peas, lid to 2|d. < New Potatoes.—Peninsula (glutted), 7s to 9a 4d per cwt; Oamaru and Christchurch, 4s to 6s. Cabbages.—Choice, up to 3s per dozen; inferior Is to 2s per sack. Cauliflowers, up to 9s per dozen; medium, 2s 6d to 4s. Lettuce., Is to Is 9d per case; choice, Is 6d per dozen. Parsnips, Is to Is 6d per dozen. Carrots, new, Is 3d to Is 6d per dozen. Spring onions, 2d to 3d per bundle. Radishes. 4d to 6d per dozen bunches. French beans, 3d to 3id; butter beans, 2fd to 3d: broad beans, lid. MERCHANDISE MARKET. Pear's unscented soap is at present quite off the market. There is at present a shipment of Big Tree benzine at tho wharf, but it is understood, that a considerable quantity of it is already sold. A shipment of Black Horse coarse salt js due about March or April. The packers of O.M.C. sheep tongues in tina have advanced the price to 225. . Highlander and Milkmaid milk have both been increased in price to 28s 6d a case—a rise of 2s. Old Gold tobacco and Red Jacket 2oz tobacco are both off the market at present. The new season's pack of K peas in 21b tin 3 are now available. The price is 12s per dozen. Wyandotte in 51b tins is now quoted at 6id. Californian .figs in bricks (lOoz packets) are quoted at from 9s to 9s od. A parcel of ilb tins of sardines, which arrived during tho week, has gone into consumption at 8s 6d a dozen. A new line of essence of coffee and chicory, called Redwing, has been placed on the market. It Is quoted at from 13s 6d to 14s per dozen. A shipment of Japanese lima beans arrived during the week, and is quoted at 7d. Gilbey's and Boord's dry gin both show advanced prices. Prices are now 62s for less than five cases and 60s for five cases.