THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3335, 13 February 1918, Page 13

THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Friday evening, , Many Australian wheat. producers have not hesitated to ventilate their feelings at the alleged unfair treatment metedi out to them by the Government (says the Australasian). Fortunately, the large majority of growers have realised the difficulties with which the Government has to contend, and they wait patiently for the time when the position will once more become normal. The question of paramount importance is tonnage. The Allies’ needs for ships are still expanding, and even with shipbuilding forging ahead rapidly, the nearer ports to Europe and America must have precedence of call. The Commonwealth Government has endeavoured to ship as much wheat as possible, andi has been almost indiscreet in its dictation to shipping companies as to what their ships should load, and all in the interests of Great Britain and the Australian farmers. As the enormous accumulations of wheat in this country will take a considerable time to ship, even if vessels _ were available, it has been suggested that the area to be put under wheat in the near future should’be reduced in favour of stockbreeding; but the Minister for Agriculture, although partially in favour of the. latter course, has assured growers that as the result of experience, wheat could be handled and stacked without material loss. The new season’s wheat is commencing to come forward. Samples from North Canterbury ■are in very good order, but those from South Canterbury are not too good, and millers have had to pass a number of these latter lines. The damp weather experienced in South Canterbury is_ given as the cause of the wheat from this locality being soft. If the wheat is put into stack no doubt its quality will be very much improved for milling purposes. The damp warm weather is having a serious effect on the crops in the Taieri district, and if it continues a quantity of the wheat will suffer from sprouting. In about 10 days’ time there should be plentiful sunrvlies of the new season’s crop on the market. The fowl wheat market is being supplied with shipments from Australia. These are being retailed at 7s 6d per bushel. Flour is ouoted 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). Government prices for wheat: 5s lOd'pcr bushel all round for February, March, and April delivery. There has been a little inquiry for old oats from the North Island, but stocks in Dunedin are now very light. Millers are showing an inclination to operate in the now season’s crop. For a fair sized line of Taieri-grown Gartons 3s 7jd on trucks has been paid. The sales recorded, however, are for forward delivery, as thrashing has not yet started in the south. The current quotation for old oats is 4s Id for A Gartons, f.oib., s.i., and 3s lid for B’s. . Offerings of ryegrass, which had been delayed on account of the rainy weather, are now being made more freely. Lightweight seed is difficult to place, and some merchants are showing a greater inclination to buy dressed seed than undressed, as they thus gain at once the knowledge of its weight. Prices fluctuate considerably, according to weight and oleaness, and range from 3s 3d to 4s per lb for undressed on trucks, country. For one line of dressed 4s 6d per lb was paid. PRODUCE REPORT. Consignments of old chaff are not too plentiful, but are equtd to the demand. Prime quality is selling as high as £7 a ton, ex truck ( sacks extra. Potato digging has been delayed by the recent rains, and supplies are on the short side. Prices have advanced in consequence. The market is well supplied with straw from the north. Dairy sepavaator pats have advanced in pricq. Eggs have firmed in price during the week, the moulting period having caused supplies to ease off. Bacon is in short supply. Not much curing is now being done, in consequence of the warm weather. There was a largo yarding of pigs at the Burnside market on Wednesday, and prices wore slightly easier for both stores and fats. . Current wholesale prices are ns follow: Fowl wheat. —Australian, 7s 6d a bushel;

New Zealand grown, unprocurable in the meantime. Chaff. —Prime oaten sheaf, about £6 15s; medium to good, £4 to £4 15a (sacks extra). Bt)tatoe3.—£6 10s to £7. Straw.—Oaten, £3 103; wheaten, £3 ss. Eggs, Is 5d to Is 6d. Butter.—Milled bulk, Is Id to Is 2d per lb; second quality, Is; dairy separator, in lib packages. Is to Is 2d. Honey.—Old stocks exhausted. Prices for new season's not yet named. Pigs.—Baconers, 7£d to B£d per lb} porkers, B£d. Bacon.—Rolls, local, Is 3d; Christchurch rolls, Is 3d; sides, Is 3d; hams, Is 3d; ham rolls, Is 3d. FRUIT REPORT. * Business has been very brisk in the fruit marts during tho week. Tomatoes and pluni3, principally from Canterbury, are the principal consignments. A fair quantity of tomatoes, in crates, has also arrived from the Central. The latter consignments arrived in nice order, and realised fair prices. The Nelson tomatoes came to hand in sound condition, and met with immediate sale. Dessert and cooking apples are now arriving from .Canterbury and meeting with a fair demand. Small lines of cookers'are also being sent in from the Taieri. Some growers continue to offend in not taking sufficient to see that their fruit carries no infection. " A considerable quantity of pears was condemned during the week. Apricots are not so plentiful, small quantities only being now available. Choice lots are now in short supply, Hho season drawing to its close. ..... Peaches fairly plentiful during the week, but the supply is unequal to the_ demand. Reports from Roxburgh state that the mid-season peach crop, is not turning out well. Prices today are well maintained, hut it is anticipated that values will ease when the main crop comes forward in quantity. Some of tho retail shops are charging very high price for peaches. One leading Dunedin firm was selling four peaches for a shilling on Thursday of this week—equal to 3d each! Advices from the north- state that as soon as shipping, is available' a consignment of bananas will bo forwarded to the local market. , .' The market is fairly well supplied with vegetables tho chief lines being peas and beans. Some prime samples of locally grown peas have reached the market, and these have brought, as high as 3£d per lb. Current wholesale prices are as follow: Apples.—New season's dessert, 7s 9d to 8s 6d per case; cookers, 5s 6d to 6s. Pears.—Best to 3d; d'thers, to 2d. Lemons.—None available. Keen demand. Cucumbers.—Local, 5s to 9s; small, 3s to ss. , ■ Plums.—Dessert, in crates, to 3£d; others, 2id to 3d; jam, Ikl to l|d; greengages, 3d to 4d per lb. . . Apricots—Cases, 23d to 3Jd; for jam, lgd to.-2id; crates, 3£d to 4£d. Nectarines, in crates, to s£d per lb; in cases, 3£d to 4d for best: small, 2£d to 3d. Peaches.—Cases, 3d to 4d ; crates, jam. to 3d. '. Tomatoes. —Local, to Sd: Christchurch, 5d to 6d; outside, 3£d to 4£d; Nelson, 6s 6d per case of 241 b. Raspberries, to 7£d. Grapes.—ls 2d to Is 4d. Green peas.—2J>d to 3id. New Potatoes.—Peninsula, to 9s 4d per cwt; Oamaru and Christchurch. to £7. Cabbages.—Choice, up to Is 9d per dozen ; inferior, Is to 2s per sack. Cauliflowers up to 6s per dozen; medium, 2s 6d to 4s. Lettuce, 2s to 2s 6d 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 oer doezn. bunches. French beans, lgd to 2Ad; butter beans, lJ>d to 2d; broad beans, lid. „„„, MERCHANDISE MARKET. The price of cigarette papers has advanced bv Is 6d per box. The quotation to-day is "10s 6d per box. Wilson's malt extxract is now quoted at 34s for large sizes and Is 9d for small Sunlight and Lifebuoy soaps have advanced by 3s and 2s per case respectively.

Caustic soda shows a further advanco in price. Van Houtcn's cocoa is in short supply, and no advice has hoen received of any further shipments. Bournoville cocoa' is also in short supply. Regent soap is quoted at £4O per ton, and Velvet at 21s per case. A parcel of walnuts arrived during the week, and is quoted at Is per lb. Stocks of sugar in Dune-din are in short compass. There is plenty of sugar available from Auckland, but owing to the shortage of steamers and delays following on bad weather, parcels have been limited during the week.. It is understood that the next steamer from Auckland will not arrive for about 10 days. The manufacturers report that they have sold out supplies of Radium floor polish in the meantime. Glycerine shows a decided advanco in cost. Lane's emulsion is again available. Cornflour prices remain very firm. . Bulk- whisky is quoted up to 35s per gallon, in bond, according to quality. Homo agents advise that " whisky exports now allowed only under license." They do not, however, apprehend" any stoppage, but consider that supplies will arrive here occasionally, although these may experience an ever-increasing delay in coming to hand. COMMERCIAL CABLEGRAMS. LONDON, liVbrwary 7. Bank of England x - eturns: Gold coin and bullion in hand, £57,478,CC0; reserve, £30,928,000; proportion of reserve to liabilities, 18.56 per cent.; notes in circula tion, £46,131,000; Government deposits, £41,143,000; other deposits, £125,504,000; Government securities, £56,890,000; other securities, £96,890,000. Discount on short loans, 3| per cent.; three months' bills, 4 per cent. War loans: 3i per cent., £BS 2s 6d; 4 per cent., £93 ss. Quotations for colonial stocks, as compared with those for the previous week: — i Jan. 31. Feb. 7.

* 1921-6 currency. 11020-30 currency.' , Tin: Spot, £305 10s; three months, £302 10s. Silver, 43d per oz. Other metals unchanged. Tin stocks are estimated at 19,528 tons. Amount on spot, 3499 tons; afloat, 4085 tons; deliveries, 1650 tons. Butter and ohoese distributions are proceeding very slowly, owing to transport difficulties. Flour: Australian, none offering. Oats, peas, and beans: Firm at late rates. Sugar: Unchanged. AUSTRALIAN RABBITS. ' DISPOSAL OF SURPLUS STOCK. MELBOURNE, February 5. Rabbit dealers are excited over the announcement that the Imperial authorities have cabled that they aro unable to purchase this season's surplus rabbits* although recent negotiations led packers to believe that the British Government was willing to take 20,000 tons at last season's rates. There are still 17.000 crates under tho old contract unshipped. The Federal authorities are now approaching the United States in an t-ndeavour to place this season's surplus. DUNEDIN MARKETS. FABM AND DAISY PRODUCK. Mr B. J. M'Arthur (successor to Messrs M'ilroy Bros.), George street, reports paying for produce during the week ending, the 12th inst., as follows: Stamped fresh E ;gs Honey (J lb pat), 3/6 J/1U doz Horn y (bulk), Sia lb Salt Butter, !/• lb Honey (section), 7/6 -do* Sep. Butter. 1A lb I Honey (Cartons), lib, 6/- | 21 b, 15/- doa | Beeswax, 1/8. Compressed yeast, 8d packet. OAMARU MARKETS. (From Our Own . Correspondent.) OAMARU/' February 9. The weather this week has been very much the reverse of favourable for harvest workJ Rains havo been frequent, rendering thrashing only intermittently possible, and otherwise the weather has been hot and murky, and consequently for the preservation of the grain in the best condition. Some wheat has been thrashed, and a few samples have been seen on the market. Taken generally, these augur well for the quality of the wheat pro<*uced in the district this year, but that quality will not be even, for, whle some samples shown can be classed as really excelent and others as good, _ at least one can only "be rated as fair, being thin with a percentage of shrivelled berries. , , . , Some beautiful samples of oats have, been submitted, one line of Gartons in particular being plump, bright, and weighty, and reaching 451 b per measured bushel. Offerings have been more numerous, and, coming on a bare market, have met with acceptance. Sales of milling Gartons have been made at 3s 5d and 3s 6d net, at country stations, and of A grade up to 3s

i sd, and B's at 3s 2d to 3s 3d. Algerians have been dealt in at from, 3s to 33 2d net. at country stations. The quality of the Capo barley samples varies widely, and sales at country stations range from 3s od for lines affected by smut up to 4s 3d for prime lines, all net, all country stations. There is also a wide difference in tha quality of grass seed submitted, both, in respect to weight and colour. Soles have been mado of perennial ryegrass all the way from 33 2d to 3s 9d net. at country stations. SOUTHLAND MARKETS. (Fbom Ooa Own Cobbesi>okdbnt.][ INVERCARGILL, February 9. Since last report inquiries for oats stiff hold good from the north, and the market is firm, though an occasional sale has beert made at somewhat under market rates, which are on the basis of 4s f.o.b. s.i., fotf A grade Gartons. Harvest operations hav'aj already commenced, in the caso of autumn and early-sown oats, but will not becoma* general for the next two or three weeks. If the weather holds pood, it is pretty cer« tain that the crop will be nice, dry, wellfilled oats, quite equal to anything wo hav« had during the last few years. It is difficult to forecast future values, but growers are firmly of the opinion that, with the Binall area in bats, prices must hold good. As a natural consequence of the abcvement'ioned impressions in respect to oats, farmers believe that the rates for chaff will be decidedly payable, even though the de' -nand may be only local. For some timrf. ,:>ast chaff has relatively exceeded thrashing rates, and to-day's rates are for prime quality £6 per ton, and for specially good lines, at near handy sidings, this price may be exceeded to the extent of ss. A number of samples of ryegrass have ) been offered by growers during the week.The majority of these samples- have been light-weight seed, averaging about. 201 b to the bushel, but it is the general opinion, that much better seed will be put on the market during the next three or four weeks.The earlier thrashings are almost invariably of lighter weight, owing to the grass hav< ing been harvested in a rather immature condition. That there is a bountiful harvest of grass seed exceeding last season's is now assured; 201 b well-milled seed is worth from 2s 6d to 2s 8d per bushel, while 261 b seed, reasonably clean, is worth in the neighbourhood of 3s Id on trucks ab farmers' sidings. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT, WELLINGTON, February 11. The High Commissioner reported as follows on February: 9. (Note: The quotations, unless otherwise specified, are the average market prices on spot):— Meat.—All descriptions of meat continue in active demand owing to snort eupplica and small supplies of nome killed mutton and beef. The supplies consist chietiy of New Zealand iamb and American and Canadian beef, all of which are selling at tha maximum prices. i Butter and cheese are in small supply at the maximum price. In regard to French and Danish butter, there is no import trade at present, but a resumption of the importation of Danish is anticipated consequent on negotiations which are progressing between the Governments. Hemp.—The Manila market shows no; change. For New Zealand the demand if chiefly for parcels already shipped. OV spot high point was sold at auction tihi,' week at £96 15s. The wheat and oats market is quiet, an( prices are unchanged. There ia a sraal supply. GRAIN AND PRODUCE SALES. Messrs Donald Reid and Co. report:—« Oats: Good to prime Gartons and sparrow* bills have had better inquiry from shippers* but quotations are slightly in advance o{ their limits, and most or the early harvesteo lines have been secured by millers. With good weather a fair number of these will be ready for delivery within the nex> few weeks, but so far no thrashing of anj importance has been done. ' Prime milling, 3s 9d to 3s lOd ; good to best feed, 3s 8d to 3s 9d; inferior to medium, 3s 3d to 33 7d per bushel (sacks extra). Wheat: No stocks of old wheat are now offering, and; the thrashing of the new crop has not yetbegun. Potatoes: These have been com ing forward sparingly, and on thi/i ao.. count values show a decided improvement. Best freshly dug lots, £7 10s; others, £6 to £7 per ton (sacks included). Chaff: Most of the consignments now ctoming forward are of only fair quality. In the -absence of prime lines these find ready sale, but the inquiry is chiefly for best oaten shcaf,This is saleable at £7, choice black oats to' £7 ss, medium to good £6 5s to £6 15s, light and discoloured, £5 to £6 per ton (bags extra). Grass Seed: There is good demand for heavy perennial and for well marked Italian. Best samples are saleable at 3s 9d to 4s per bushel, on trucks, at country stations. Cocksfooti also meets with good demand, heavy samples being worth 12d, medium to good lOd to lid per lb. on trucks. Messrs Dalgety and Co. report:—Oatsi During the past week there has been mora inquiry for good bright heavy lines, suit* able for milling, and late rates are fully, maintained. The quantity of this quality of oats offering however, has not been large. Feed lines are also meeting ready, sale at quotations. Prime milling, 3s 9d to 3s lOd; good to best feed, 3s 8d to 3s 9d; medium and discoloured. 3s 3d to 3a 6d per bushel (sacks extra). Wheat: Practically no business passing. Potatoes: Owing to harvesting operations being in. full swing, digging has slackened off and consignments during the past week have: barely been equal to the 'demand, with the result that values have firmed since our last report. Choice freshly dug lines

are in most request. Best table, to £7 10s j medium to good, £6 10s to £7 per ton (sacks in). Chaff: Consignments of good quality are not heavy, and all lots of this description meet ready sale. Medium Vfial'ty and light lines are more plentiful ia.nd being out of favour with buyers, are move difficult to place. Choice quality, £7 to £7 &; good oaten.sheaf, £6 10s to £7; medium quality, £4 10s to £5 10s; light and inferior, from £3 per ton (sacks extra). OTAGO FARMERS' HORSE BAZAAR. The Otago Farmers' Co-operative Association, of New Zealand report: We held our weekly horse sale on Saturday, and offered 42 horses, comprising about a dozen medium-weight draught fillies and geldings from three years to six years old —all good clifty sorts. The balance of the entry was made up of a few .tidy young geldings suitable for light farm work and springcart, also a number of "all sorts" of really no commercial value. As owners are ■tired of feeding the latter class, they are Bent here to be sold without reserve,- and as. a rule find their resting place at the Burnside homo. Although the quotations are low, we do not wish to infer that good rjuality draught horses and geldings, young md sound, are not in fail' demand at prices tniito recently obtained; and we may say that any consignments of really good draughts coming into the market meet with Capital competition, and realise prices equal to our quotations. Quotations:. Young, pound, sharp, clifty geldings, £25 to £2B; extra heavy horses, £26 to £32; seven-year-bid and ovo,r mares and geldings. £l3 to £2O, and what is usually termed aged. £lO Jo 212; vanners and spring-carters, £l4 to £2O j light sorts of harness horses, at fluctuating prices.

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