THE BREADSTUFF PRODUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3352, 12 June 1918, Page 13

THE BREADSTUFF PRODUCE MARKETS.

Friday evening. The British Food Production Department announces that tho area sown to wheat in England and Wales up to the end of January amounted to 2,504,U00. acres, against 1,726,000 acres at the corresponding date last year, and 1,918.485 acres tho final figure. The weather having been exceptionally favourable during the following two months, " it is fairly certain," states the London Grain, Seed, and Oil Reporter, "that the acreage sown since the end of January ia considerably larger than was the case in February and March, 1917. It is known that there is a small increase in Scotland, and a moderate increase on last year's total is expected in Ireland. Altogether, it is probable that there will be a total increase of 1,000,000 acres, representing nearly 32,000,000 bushels of wheat, and indicating a total outtnrn of about 96,000,000 bushels, against 64,317,192 bushels in 1917, and 59,771,261 bushels in 1916. In Canada, on latest information, it is expected that the area to be sown to spring wheat will amount to 15,000,000 acres, against 14,031,000 acres hist year, and 14,551,000 acres in 1916. The London wheat market is quiet. Parcels of Australian on passage have been sold at 79s 6d per 4801 b, c.i.f., while small quantities on spot have changed hands at 75s 6d. Odd lines of. milling wheat are offering from Otago Central, where thrashing has been delayed owing to the shortage of mills, and these are quickly picked up by millers. Fowl wheat ia in short supply, and can be sold at about 6a to 6s 3d wholesale. Flour (200's) is quoted at £ls 10s a ton. Oatmeal £25 ai ton for 25's. Pearl barley, £23. Pollard. £8 7b 6d (fixed by Government). Brain, £6 (fixed by Government). Milling wheat, according to G-overnment prioe, South Island, Juno, os HJd (plus Id brokerage and M Government charge)', July, 6s; August, 6s Old, f.o.b. There is a good inquiry for heavy Garton oats suitable for milling and seed, and in 3d, & 3Jd,

and 4s 4d has been paid for this quality, on tuucks, Oliigo Central. Offerings arc light, and it is considered that most of the oats arc now out of first hands. A fair dentand exists for shipping, but space is not too plentiful, and sales have been made at 4s lOd, f.0.b., sacks in, for A grade, and 4s- 9d for B's. One agent in Auckland has telegraphed to a local agent that he can buy B's at 4s Gd, f.o.b. (sacks in). Merchants, here, however, state that it . would bo impossible for (hem to do a profitable business at this figure. A line of any size could certainly not be secured at 4s (id. Some uncertainty prevails as to the distinction between A and B grade Gartons. PRODUCE REPORT. Fair supplies of chaff continue to reach the market. The only demand is practically confined to prime quality. Inferior and medium quality are hard to quit, and most of the consignments of this class of chaff are being stored. The potato market is on the quiet side, and il is difficult to sell Taieri-grown at £9. The quality of some of the northern-grown tubers is very good, and as they are cheaper than the Taieri-grown they are coming in for greater attention. Medium quality is selling down to £7, ex truck, Dunedin. The market is glutted for both wheaten and oalon straw. The demand for hay is rather slack for this time of the vear. Merchants in South Canterbury are offering to sell at £5 6s to £5 10s a ton. There are small supplies only of dairy butter from the country, nearly all sales being made out of stocks in' the freezer. Eggj are becoming a little more plentiful. Prices still rule high. . There was a fair yarding of pigs at the Burnside sale on Wednesday, and those met with a goad demand at prices equal to late rates. Best baconers made from BJd to BJd per lb, and best porkers from Sid up to 9d per lb. Current wholesale prices are as follow: Fowl Wheat. —New Zealand-grown, 6s to 6s 3d. Chaff.—Prime oaten sheaf, £G 5s to ,-€6 10s (sacks extra); medium to good, £5 to £5 15s: discoloured, practically . unsaleable. Wheat .and oaten straw, £2 10s to £2 12s Cd. Potatoes, to £8 per ton (sacks in) for northern grown; Tawi, £9. Hay, £5 5s to £5 10s. Eggs.—Stamped, 2s 2d a dozen; plain fresh, 2s to 2s Id; preserved, Is 8d to Is 9d., Onions, 9s per cwt. Butter.—Milled bulk. Is 2d to Is 4d per lb; second quality, Is Id; dairy separator, in lib packages, to Is 3d . Honey, 10d per lb. Pigs.—Bacaners, 8d to BJd per lb; porkers, B*d to 9d. Bacon.—Rolls (local), Is 3d; Christchurch rolls, Is 4d; sides, Is 2d; hams. Is 3d J ham rolls, Is 4d. FBUIT REPOBT. Business has been fairly brisk during the week, nil lines of apples and pears being sold immediately on arrival. Some good-sized lines of Lord. Wolseley cookers, frorn Canterbury, met with a ready sale. Several cases of apples and pears have been uondemned by the- inspector. A fair quantity of dessert apples and pears came forward from Otago Central, but not enough to meet the demand. Prices for both fruits are very firm. The Calm arrived on Monday with about 1000 cases of Fiji bananas, transhipped from the north. A good proportion of the shipment, although quite sound, was on the small side, and prices realised for this fruit would be hardly satisfactory to the shippers, because it costs just as much to send a case of small bananas as a case of large sized. The large fruit realised, very good prices. The cold weather, however, is affecting the demand for bananas.

The first shipment for the season of Australian citrus fruit-—mandarins, oranges, pines, and lemons .is due to arrive here to-morrow morning. The shipping of further lines will no doubt be governed by the prices obtained on the local market for this shipment, as fair prices are being paid in the New South Wults markets. A small parcel of Auckland-grown poorman oranges, tree tomatoes, and lemons is due to arrive by the Monowai on Monday, and possibly there may be some transhipments of Fiji bananas which did not come on by the Calm. Small consignments of pie melons arrived on Thursday from the north, and realised 19s per cwt. As pie melons are said to grow well in the Otago Central district, orchardists in this district might be well advised to give the cultivation of this commodity a trial. The vegetable market continues firm. Some nice cauliflowers, though not large in size, but very white coloured, realised up to 10s per dozen. Good heads of cabbages realised 3s per dozen. Cuirent wholesale values are as follow: Apples.—Dessert—Otago Central Jonathans, Scarlets, and Clecs, 3Jd; choice, to 4d; choice Delicious, :Ud to 4Jd; Canterbury Cox's Orange pippins, 10s" to 10s Gd; cookers, 7s Gd to 8s Ud for best: medium, 6s 6d to 6s; inferior, 3s to 4s. Pears.—Bs to 10s; medium, 4s 63 to Gs per bushel case; Central grown Winter Nolis and Winter' Coles, to 3£d; cooking, lid to 2d. Lemons.—Adelaides, 20s to 22s M per case. Poorman oranges, to arrive Monday. Kumeras, 4s to 4s 6d per case. Cucumbers.—Local hothouse, 12s per dozen for best. Bananas.—Green Pijis—best, 19s to 21s; medium and fair, 14s to 16s; inferior, 5s to 10s. Mandarins: To arrive Saturday. Oranges.—-Island repacks, 15s to 16s 6d. Tomatoes.—Local hothouse, lid to Is 3d; Christchurch, outside, to 6£d for best. Tree tomatoes.—To arrive Monday. Walnuts, to Is 2d per lb for choice; others, lOd te 10Jd. Grapes.—Choice locals, Is 6d to 2s .3d per lb. Potatoes.—Peninsula, 9s Gd to 10s per cwt; Taieri, £9 per ton. Cabbage.—Choice, up to 3s per dozen; good, Is 9d to 2s~3d; medium, Is to Is 6d per sack. Cauliflowers : Choice, up to 9s Gd per dozen; good, 5s to 7s; medium, 2s to 2s Gd. Lettuce, Is per case; choice. Is per dozen. Parsnips, 2s 6d to 3s per cental bag. Carrots, 3s to 4s per cental bag; sacks, to 10s. Brussels sprouts, 5s per case. Vegetable marrows, 3s Gd to 4s Gd per sack. Swedes.—Sacks, 3s Gd; bags, Is 6d. MERCHANDISE MARKET. The new prices for Edmond's baking and egg powder are 2Gs 3d per dozen tins for large, 23s 3d for medium, and 13s 2d for small. Supplies are still very short. A parcel of large Bisto, which has been in short supply for some considerable time, is again available. Owing to the shortness of tins this commodity is now put up in cardboard cartons. Old Dutch hand so;ip has been increased in price to 14s per box. It is worthy of mention that this is the first increase in this line since before the war. All grades of twines have advanced in price. Advice has been received that a difficulty is being experienced in getting shipments made from Home. A shipment of dried fruits arrived here direct from San Francisco during the week. This is the first occasion for some considerable now that a vessel has come direct from San Francisco to Port Chalmers. The usual practice is to tranship the Dunedin goods at Auckland or Wellington.

Park Havelock tobacco (plugs) is sti'll unprocurable, but a small line of tins (dark and aromatic) and aromatic plugs have come forward during the -week. The New Zealand grown and manufactured tobaccos—Gold Pouch and Bed Shag—are again available on the market. An advance has taken place in all sizes of Norton's egg preservative. The increased coßt of the preservative will no doubt have an effect on the futuro prices of preserved eggs. Advice has been received that Fester Clark and Co. have practically completed arrangements for eroctiug a factory in Australia for the manufacture of their soups, custards, eto. The Home Arms, presumably, ore being forced to open factories in countries where they can Secure supplies of the necessary raw material, and thus utilise their capital and maintain their trade relations. Brown's cornflour ia also now being manufactured in Australia. Supplies of cornflour for the local market are being obtained from Australia. Prices show an advance of Id per lb. Crops of the new season's Mild urn sultanas have turned out less than was 'anticipated, and there is 'little chance of obtaining supplies of Three Crown. Last season's Two Crown is on offer, but merchants are not very favourably inclined towards buying old stock.

DOXEDIN MARKETS FAEM AKD DAIET PRODUCE. Mr B. J. M'ArtiiUß teucceisor to Liessrb M'llroy Bros ). George streoi. reports paying ior produce during the week ending tfc* 11th inst., as follows: r>;»irtpe<l iresu I'.ggs i lior:ty (J lb pit), 4/8 , 1/10 do* lion, y (bulk), bu lb Salt Butter, 1/1 lb | Honey (section), 7/b' doi Sey. Kutter, 1/2J lb | Honey (Cartons), ilb, b/Prime S.-p. Butter | *lb, 15/- doi watted, i/ £ lb | Beeswax, 1/8. Bacon i'igs, fed lb | Compressed yeast, 8d packet. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. WELLINGTON, June 4. The High Commissioner reported ua follows on June 1: Meat. —The market and prices are without change. Butter.—Stocks are accumulating, including Danish, French, an.i American, with the result that more has been released for the consumption of the civilian population. Cheese.—Cheese is in small supply. English comes under Government control after to-day. Hemp.—The Manila and New Zealand markets and prices are without change. Wheat and Oats. —Trade has been reduced to a minimum owing to the absence of Government offers. Juno 10. The High Commissioner reported as follows on June 8: Meat. —The- conditions are unchanged. The supplies consist of 85 per cent imported. •Butter.—The market and prices are without change. Cheese. —The demand is in excess of the supply. Small supplies of English are coming forward. Hemp.—Manila, low grades, is scarce. The output for the four weeks'ended May 25 was 131,000 bales. The market for New Zealand is quiet, and small business is doing. Freight is scarce. Wheat and Oats. —(Mutilated word here). Government offerings are small, and there is no change in prices, THE OAMARU MABKETS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) OAMARU, June 8. The week has been an exceedingly quiet one all round. So far as wheat is concerned it is 'clear that the tail end of the season has been reached, for offerings from the country have been few during the week, and transactions have dealt with small lines, the. largest sale reported amounting to only 250 sacks. No business in oats is reported, and it is difficult to define the position. So far as oan be discovered holdings in the country have been reduoed to a small compass, and there does not appear, to be any particular desire on the part of either holders or merchants to do business. In rpgard to Cape barley the only thing that can be said is that holdings in store and in the country alike are small, and of business there is none to report. A little more inquiry for potatoes has been experienced from some North Island centres, but no business has resulted. Latest/sales at country stations were made at from £6 10s to £6 15s net, and at these prices merchants cannot profitably compete with Canterbury sellers. SOUTHLAND MARKET REPORT. (From Our Own Correspondent.) INVERCARGILL, June 8. The oat market is decidedly firm, not to say lively, and during the week sales of B grade Gartons have been made at 4s lOd (f.0.b., sacks in), and a number of holders are disinclined to do business at less than 5s (f.0.b., sacks in) for A grade Gartons. The allotments on the Te Anau, from Bluff, for ports of Auckland, Napier, etc., were 14,600 sacks. Applications ior space much exceeded this ffuantity, and so far as B'luff is concerned the Te Anau left a full ship. The Culm, leaving for Wellington and Wanganui during the early part of next week is in the same position. The quantity offering from farmers i 3 still small, and the price to them remains nominally the same as last week—namely, 4s Id on trucks. The chaff market is quiet, and farmers are offering more than sufficient for local requirements. Buyers are not now willing to operate at mere than £5 10s on trucks for prime quality. As larger users have ample for their requirements, a considerable portion of current purchases will probably have to be taken into store. There is next to nothing doing in hemp. Low fair is nominally worth £37 on trucks, and high lair £39, but neither merchants nor millers are keen to do business. Small parcels of machine-dressed ryegrass are still moving off to northern merchants, and, with the approach of spring, it is anticipated that this market will become decidedly brisker, with some increase in values. During the past fortnight a few transactions in linseed have taken place at about £24 per ton (f.0.b., sacks in), which is equal to 10s or 10s Gd per bushel, sacks extra, ou trucks at handy stations. GRAIN AND PRODUCE SALES. Messrs Donald Reid and Co. report: —Oats: Heavy Gartons, suitable for milling, are at present moat popular with local buyers, and all offerings are readily quitted. Good to best feed lines ore also in strong demand, while maidhim quality, (although not so strongly inquired for, are easily placed. There is also brisk demand for prime Duns and other choice lots suitable for seed. Prime milling, 4s 5d to 4s 6d; best feed, 4s 3d to 4s 4d; /aedium to good, 4s to 4s 2d; inferior, 3s 6d to 3s lOd pea- bushel, sacks extra. Wheat: No change to report. A few lots of broken wheat offered at to-day's sale realised 5s lOd per bushel, ex store. Potatoes : The supply of Taieri potatoes has now slackened, and the market is bsing supplied chiefly with consignments from the north. These, if sound, free from blight, and well graded, continue to move off slowly at quotations. Medium and inferior lo:s are more difficult to place. Choice table potatoes (Taieri), £9 to £9 ss; northern grown, £8 5s to £8 10s-; medium, £7 10s to £8; others, £6 to £7 per ton, sacks included. Chaff: Consignments are coming forward freely. Prime oaten sheaf, heavy and bright, is the only class in favour with buyers. Medium and inferior lots have little attention, and being difficult to quit, ex truck, have to be discharged into store to avoid railway demurrage charges. The lack of demand is, therefore, causing some accumulation in this class of chaff. Best oaten sheaf, £6 10s to £6 12s 6d ; choice, to £6 15s; medium to good, £5 15a to £6 ss; light and discoloured, £5 to £5 10s; straw chaff, £3 15s to £4 5s per ton, bags extra.

Messrs Dalgety and Co. report :—Oats: Good bright heavy lines are still meeting with good inquiry, and are readily disposed of at quotations. Feed lines have also been receiving nioro attention of late. G-ood heavy Duns ara. meeting strong inquiry Prime milling, 4s 5d to 4a 6d; good to best feed, 4s 3d to 4s 4d; light and inferior samples, 3s 6d to 4s per bushel, sacks extra. Wheat; Ail lines of milling quality are readily taken by millers at Government rates. Fowl wheat is in short supply and meets with ready sale on arrival. Potatoes: Choice quality lines are in most request. Many of the consignments arriving are more or less faulty, these being principally Canterbury and northern-grown tubers, for which the demand is slack. Choice well graded lines of seed are meeting with more inquiry. Southern grown tables, £9 io £9 ss; Canterbury grown, £8 to £3 10s; others, from £6 to £1 per ton, sacks in. Chaff: The market continues to bs well supplied. Owing to the lack of shipping space a large quantity has bsen unloaded into store. The 'demand ia confined