THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS

Otago Witness, Issue 3347, 8 May 1918, Page 13

THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS

Friday evening. The London Grain, Seed, and Oil Reporter of February 15 states that in regard to the French ■wheat crops, climatic conditions have been generally quite favourable for field work, farmers are making the most of their opportunities, and ploughing continues to make good progress. The mild weather is perhaps encouraging too rapid growth, and a somewhat lower temperature is deliicd to check same. On the whole, the agricultural outlook is much more promising than a year ago. As regards Argentina, the latest estimate of the area sown to wheat last year is 17,868,000 acres, against 17,674,000 acres the previous estimate and 16.062,170 acres last year; the average for the five years 1911-15 was 16,447.730 acres. In Uruguay the area sown was 1,013,227 acres, against' 779,285 acres and 851,409 acres respectively, whilst the yield was 18,360,000 bushels, against 6,388,000 bushels in the preceding year. Cable messages from Buenos Aires stated that the workmen' were again causing a good deal of trouble and seriously delaying the transport of grain to the ports, but a later message says that hopes are entertained that the railway strikes will shortly end. The quality of the wheat arriving at the ports continues good. Tire London wheat market is quiet. A few parcels of Australian have been sold at 79s 6d per 4801 b, c.i.f. In flour, a limited quantity of grain from overseas has been sold at late rates. Little wheat is on offer on the local market. It was thought that the additional 4d per bushel payable this month under the Government. scheme would have released considerable quantites, but. this has proved to be the case. Only a small proportion of the crops has been thrashed in the Otago Central district, and In consequence of the lack of thrashing facilities it is stated that it will he well on to the end of the year before the thrashing is completed 1 there Small stocks of Australian wheat are held by millers, but this wheat is steadily becoming used up. Fowl wheat is very scarce, and all lines meet a strong demand. Flour (200’s) is quoted at £ls 10s a ton. ‘‘.Oatmeal, £25 a ton for 25’s. Pearl barley, £23. Pollard. £8 7s 6d (fixed by Government). Bran, £6 (fixed by Government). Milline wheat, according to Government price, South Island, May 5s lid, Juno 5s lljd, July 6s, August 6s f.o.b The oats market continues to shew an easier tone. Advices from Auckland, under date April 30, state that oats can be bought there at 4s 8d f.0.h., s.L. for A’s and -4s 7d for B’s, with very little business resulting. Sales of A Gortons have also been made to Wellington at 4s 7Jd, Lo.b., s.i. Locally, farmers ara more inclined to offer, but they are still asking prices which preclude merchants f v om doing business on a payable basis. The fact that there is a possibility that the Government may fix prices for oats is making act very cautiously throughout the dominion. Normally prices may be quoted -•hero at 4s to 4s 2d on trucks, country sidings. PRODUCE REPORT. The wet weather has delayed consignments of chaff, but most of the feeders are now carrying supplies. From £6 10s to £6 15s per ton is the value to-day of good quality. The lack of shipping facilities is preventing lines from going to the North Island, hut If any could be sent forward it would meet with a keen demand in Auckland at high prices. Bo far as the local potato market is concerned buyers are operating continuously. Tho market is bare, and up to £lO per ton. Dunedin, has been obtained for good quality. Tho northern markets.

however, do not show the firmness prevailing here. Timaru and Wairnate arc offering to sell at £S per ton on trucks, with a railage to Dunedin of 12.-. In Auckland prices are alio lower, and advices state that Melbourne potatoes can be purchased there at £5 to £5 15s, f.0.b., s-i. On the other hand, a small line of about six tons was sold during the week to the West Coast at £ll, f.0.b., s.i. Opinions of the future o! the market are conflicting, but owing to the presence of blight in many consignments and to bad grading it does not' appear that prices in Dunedin will show much falling off. Certainly they arc at a high level for this time of year. Advices from Southland state that the potato crops thero will be short, and that in some cases there is a considerable amount of blight. Prices in Southland run out at about £6 10s tt £7 on trucks, country sidings, for sound lots. The Taieri crops have now been pretty well all sold. Lines coming in, sold forward, are not i,u very good condition. ■ The market is well supplied with wheaten straw at, up to £3 5s a ton Oaten is not yet available, though there is plenty on offer for forward delivery.

Full supplies of bacon are now available from the local curers.

Dairy butter is in short supply, and stocks in the freezers are still being requisitioned. Eggs are scarce, but prices have dropped a little during the week. There v/as a very small yarding of pigs at Bumside on Wednesday—not sufficient for requirements, the result being that prices advanced from Jrl to id per lb. Best porkers realised from 9d up to Did per lb, and best baooners from BJd to B£d per lb. 'Current wholesale prices are as follow :: Fowl Wheat.—New Zealand-grown, to 6s 4d a bushel.

Chaff.—Prime oaten sheaf, £6 10s to v £6 15s (sacks extra); medium to good, £5 10s to £C; light and discolo.ired, practically unsaleable. Wheat straw, £3 ss. No oaten available. Potatoes. —£10 per ton (sacks in). Eggs.—Stamped, 2s 5d a dozen; preserved, Is Bd.

Onions.—Bs Gd per cwt. Butter—Milled bulk, Is 2d to Is 4d per lb; second quality,. Is id; dairy separator, in 11b packages, Is Id to Is 3d. Honey.—9d per lb. Pigs.—Baconers, 8d to per lb; porkers, BJcl to 9d. Bacon.—Rolls, local, Is 3d; Christchurch rolls, Is 3d; aides, Is 2d; hams, Is 3d; ham rolls, Is 3d. FRUIT REPORT. Business in the fruit marts has been on the quiet side during the week, principally consequent on the falling oft of the .supplies of outsidegrown tomatoes. Locally grown hothouse have advanced in price, choice samples bringing as high nit Is 2d per lb. A considerable quantity of Melbourne-grown apples have come forward during the week, but a number of the cases were in bad condition, and consignors will suffer a heavy loss. Some of the fruit did not realise sufficient to pay for the freight alone. On the other hand, some nice desserts, grown in the Otago Central district, met with ready competition at remunerative prices. Some particularly fine samples of Oamaru-grcwn grapes brought up to 2s 7d per lb. Good quality locally grown have realised 2s 3d. The demand for vegetables shows an improvement, and prices have advanced. Current - wholesale prices are as follow: — Apples.—Dessert, 6s Gd lo 7s Cd per case; cookers, 5s to Cs for best; medium, 3s to 4s; Jonathans, to 3d per lb lor Central-grown; Nelson-grown, 5s 3d to 6s Gd per bushel cases for best .Pears.—Best, 5s to 6s; others, 3s Gd to 4s Gd per bushel case; Central-grown Winter Nelis and Winter Coles, 2Jd per lb. Lemons. —Californians, 60s: Adelaides, 25s to 275. Cucumbers. —local hothouse, 7s to 8s per dozen for best; small, 3s Gd to ss. Bananas.—Market bare. Shipment expected on Monday. Passions. —5s Gd to 7s Gd. Oranges.—lsland, shipment arriving on Saturday. Quinces. —l|d to 2d. Pie Melons. —13s cwt; small, 10s to 11s. Tomatoes. —Local hothouse, lOd to Is 2d; Christchurch, outside, to 5d for best; others, IJd to 3d; Central-grown, best, to Gd. Chestnuts. —Is per lb. Walnuts.—To Is Id per lb tor choice. Grapes.—Choice locals, to Is 7d; Oamaru Gros Oolmars, to 2s 7d. Green Peas. —4d for best; others, 2d to 2Jd. Potatoes.—Peninsula, 12s per cwt; Taleri, £lO per ton. Cabbage.—Choice, up to 3s per dozen; inferior, Is to 2s per sack. Cauliflowers, up to 8s Gd per dozen; medium, 3s to 4s. Lettuce, Gd to Is per case; choice, Is per dozen. Parsnips, 2s Gd to 3s per cental hag. Carrots, Is per dozep. Vegetable Marrows. —5s to 6s per sack. MERCHANDISE MARKET. A fair-sized cargo of sugar came to the local market by the Monowai, which arrived on Friday afternoon. A parcel of Burmah candles is due to arrive within the next week or two. This line is coming to ai rather bare market, as locally-manufac-tured candles are difficult to obtain in any quantity. A new line —Silo baking powder—is quoted at IGs per dozen. Merchants have been advised that there will be no Mildura sultanas exported from Australia this season. Mildura currants, and, in fact, currants of any kind, are pretty well off the market. Stocks available for export from Australia will be worth lOld to land here. Supplies of salmon are short, and there are no prospects in the meantime of replenishing. The cocoa market is short of supplies, small lots only of Van Houtcn’s, Fry’s, and Rod Mill being available. Sardines are also in short supply, and merchants are compelled to distribute in small quantities. There appears no prospect of any additional supplies in the near future. Clothes pegs show a tendency to firm in price. Merchants’ ideas of the current quotation vary widely, quotations running from 9s Gd to 12s Gd a box. The new regulations state that no spirits imported into New Zealand on and after September 1 will be delivered from the control of the Customs unless the Comptroller of Customs is satisfied that such spirits have been matured by storage in wood for a period of not less than three years. The new regulations will mean further delays in the landing of spirits. Rockitts have advised that owing to shipping difficulties it is uncertain when their goods, such as blue, sieve polish, etc., can be shipped to New Zealand. As a result, merchants are now conserving their stocks in order to distribute them as widely as possible. A shipment of sago and tapioca is expected to reach the local market during the next 10 days. Arrowroot is quoted at per lb for case lots, and CJd for less. 'The Indian prices for cloves show a sharp advance. Local Blocks are now worth 2s 3d to 2s Gd per lb. Locally-packed salad oil is quoted at 19s Gd for i'Ooz and 12s Gd for soz. To-day’s price for bulk margarine is lljd per lb. Bon Ami is quoted at 6s 3d a dozen. Morton’s curry powder is in rather short supply.