THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3353, 19 June 1918, Page 29

THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Friday evening. Revised official estimates of the wheat, yields enable a (summary to be made of the Australian wheat crop for the past season. The yield shows a decrease of 33.126,449 bushels when compared with the preceding season, and a decrease of 01547,120 bushels in comparison with the 1915-16 crop. The totals of the six States for the past three seasons aro as follow:

The London wheat market is steady. A quantity of Australian parcels have arrived, which have been sold at 80s 6d in bags, and 79s 6d in bulk. Some sales have been made at 85s 3d) ex quay. The New York correspondent of the Australasian cables that negotiations are on foot in regard to providing tonnage for lifting 10,000,000 bushels of wheat from Australia to the United States. While such an arrangement would be appreciated, tho quantity is relatively small. On May 1, approximately 76,000,000 bushels of wheat was held in Victoria, and throughout the commonwealth about 202,000,000 bushels, including Imperial Government purchases. The local wheat market is fairly well supplied with milling lines, and these are quickly puichased at the Government prices. Fowl wheat conthmes to bring high prices, both wholesale and retail. Flour (200's) is quoted at £ls 108 a ton. Oatmeal. £25 a ton fox 25's. Pearl barley, £23. Bran, £6 (fixed by Government). Milling wheat, according to Government price., South Island, June, 5s lljdl (plus Id brokerage and 4d Government charge), July, 6s; August, 6s OJd, f.o.b. Business in the oats market is on tho quiet side. Tho local market is bare of stocks, but on the other hand the North Island is well supplied. There is same inquiry from North Island merchants for oafs for forward delivery, but merchants are not keen on this class of business on account of the uncertainty of obtaining stocks. Millers aro still buying heavy A Cartons in the country at prices above shipping values. A Gortons may be quoted at about 4a lOd f.0.b., sacks in, and B's at a penny less. PRODUCE: REPORT. Consignments of chaff are fairly plentiful. The demand is practically confined to primo quality, the medium and poor stuff held in stores being hard to quit. The potato market is a little (firmer. All Taieri-grown meets with a quick sale, but this quality is pretty well cleaned up. Northern-grown quality is rather irregular, but the sound tubers are of very gcod quality. Supplies, all round, are quite equal to the demand. It is difficult to name exact wholesale prices for oaten and wheaten straw, as these fluctuate considerably. The wholesale houses are not permitted under their fir© insurance clau.se to stock straw, and this inay be accepted as the cause of the irregular market. Most of the stables and harness makers are carrying full supplies in the meantime. Eggs are in good supply—in fact more than equal to the demand! —and prices have fallen. Stocks of Canterbury-grown onions are getting into small compass. Brown Spanish are quoted in Melbourne at £ls per ton f.o.b. There was a small yarding of pigs at Burnside on Wednesday, and prices were in consequence firmer. Prices may be quoted as follow:—Best baconers, BJd per lb; best porkers, B£d to 9d per lb. Current wholesale prices are as follow: Fowl Wheat.—New Zealand-grown, 6s to 6s ad. Chaff.—Prime oaten sheaf, £6 as to £6 10s (sacks extra); medium to good, £5 to £5 15s; discoloured, practically unsaleable. Wheat and oaten straw, £2 10s to £2 12s Gd. Potatoes, to £8 per ton (sacks in) for north-ern-grown ; Taieri, £9 to £9 ss. Hay, £5 5s to £5 10s. Eggs.—Stamped, 2s a dozen; plain fresh, Is 9d; preserved, Is 6d to Is 7d. 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, lOd per lb. Pigs.—Baconers, 8d to BJd per lb; porkers, B£d to 9d. Bacon.—Rolls (local), Is 3d; Christchurch rolls, Is 3d; sides, Is 2d; hams, Is 3d; ham rolls, Is 4d. FRUIT REPORT. Business has been fairly brisk during the week. Consignments of apples reached the market from Otago Central and Christchurch, those from Christchurch being mostly out of cool stores. Some choice samples were included in the line from the Central, and these realised as high as 4d per lb. Small supplies of pears have come to hand, and all lines are readily purchased. A cargo of mandarins, pines, oranges, avel lemons from Sydney arrived in splendid condition, and sold at the prices quoted below. Advice has been received from Auckland stating that a shipment of Island oranges had arrived there on Wednesday. What quantity will be brought south is not yet known, and there is a possibility that, in the absence of a connecting steamer, the fruit may have to be railed to Wellington, and again from Lyttelton. This would mean a considerable increase in the cost of the oranges when landed in Dunedin. Another parcel of Fiji bananas arrived from Auckland during the week, but as the market had been well supplied with the shipment ex the Calm, the fresh line was hard to quit at reduced) prices. A small shipment of Adelaide lemons is expected by the Westt-alia. A medium-sized shipment of Sydney pines, mandarins, etc., is expected by the Manuka. These will be transhipped and railed frorn Lyttelton, and may be forward in time for the auctions to-morrow. Current wholesale values arc as follow: Apples.—Dessert: Otago Central Jonathans, Scarlets, and Oleos, 3d to 3id; choice, to 4d; choice Delicious, 3£d to 4Jd; Canterbury Cox's Orange pippins, 10s to 10s Gd. Cookers: 7s 6d to 8s 9d for best; medium, 5s 6d to 6s; inferior, 3s to 4s. Pears.—los to 12s: medium, 6s to 7s per bushel case; Central-grown Winter Nelis and Winter Coles, to 3Jd; Josephine, 3d to 3£d; cooking, l?sd to 2d. Lemons.—Adelaides, 20s to 22s Gd per case; Sydney, lis; Auckland, 12s. Poormau oranges, 14s to 15s Gd. Kumeras, 43 to 4s Gd per case. Bananas. —Green Fijis: Best, 19s to 21s; medium and fair, lis to lGs; inferior, Gs to 10m;. ripe, 15s to 18s Gd; Queensland green, lis 6d to Ids. Mandarins.—Choice. 23s Gd; prime, 19s to 225; medium, IGs Gd. Oranges.—lsland repacks, 16s to 18a J Sydncv, to 14s per gin. Pine Apples.—Best, to 223 6d; green, lis to 15s. Tomatoes. —Local hothouse, lid to Is 3d; Christchurch, outside, to lOd for best.' Tree tomatoes, 5s to 7s 6d.

Walnuts, to Is 2d per lb for choice; others, 8d to 9d.

. Grapes.—Choice locals, Is Gd 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 12s per dozen; good, 5s to 7e; medium, 23 to 2s Gd. Lettuce, Is per case; choice, Is per dozen. Parsnips. 3s to 4s per cental bag. Carrots, 3s to 4s per cental bag; sacks, to 10s. Brussels sprouts, 4s 9d per case. Vegetable marrows, 4s Cd to os 6d per sack. Swedes.—Sacks, S 3 6d; bags, Is Gd. MERCHANDISE MARKET.

There is no outstanding feature in tho week's merchandise market, but a number of commodities ccntiue to advance in price. Christchurch ox tongues, 2&lb tins, will again bo available shortly. Tho cm-rent quotation is G4s per dozen Nelson's loz gelatine is now quoted at 63 Cd per dozen packets, and Nelson's isinglass at 7a 64Wolfe's Schnapps has again advanced in price, and is now quoted at 80s per case, duty paid. A shipment of bulk seeded raisins arrived during the week. These are quoted at 7d per lb. Black Horso salf is in short supply, and is'now worth £lB per ton. There is practically ko fine, salt left or. the local market in the meantime.

A shipment of prunes is landing here next week from America. A line of Thomson's oilbleached and unbleached raisins, which arrived from California, met a quick market. C.M.C. sheep tongues have been advanced by 23 per doz. Coarse castor oil is quoted to-day at 9s 3d per gallon. Its export has now been prohibited from India. The twine market continues very firm.

1015-16. 1910-17. 1917-18. Bushels. Bushels. Bushels. Victoria ... . .. 53,521,70S 51,102,438 37,737,652 New South Whiles 67,329,390 30,743,500 37,843,930 Queensland 414,438 2,800,070 1,500,000 South Australia 3:1,134,504 43,830,072 28,002,504 Tasmania ... . 003,790 402,110 379,575 Western Ausbralh Total i 18,23(1,355 16,107,804 11,923,403 179,624,183 1 51,203,503 118,077,054