THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3443, 9 March 1920, Page 13

THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Friday ovemug. Private cable essages from Liverpool adviw that in. regard to wheat the heaviest tonnag* engagement has been made with Argentina, which indicates continuous large shipments from that country. In India a fair surplus hi considered assured. The European consumption continues restricted, thus giving an additional assurance of breadstuff supplies being sufficient. For next season some anxiety exists owing to the reduced sowing of the American wheat crops. Reports have reached Melbourne from Sydney that rumour is rife in the latter city to the effect that Great Britain has resold 1,500,000 tons of Australian wheat to Europe (says the Australasian). The price mentioned is 13s per bushel (presumably at buyer's port), and Australia is to share half the profits made on the resale. The authorities hero are quite unaware :of any such business, and warn those who are interested in wheat to take no notice whatever of idle rumours. Efforts for ' mony months past to obtain information from Great Britain as to what quantities have been resold by the British Government in which the commonwealth shares the profit have been fruitless, and!, on the face of it all, it is stated that the report is absurd. Many of the resales made by Great Britain do not come under existing contracts where the share profits clause is included, being of a special nature. Very little new season's- wheat is coming to hand. Odd lines only are available from Canterbury, northern millers evidently taking all lines of suitable quality. Fowl wheat is still in short supply. It ia understood that the sale of fowl wheat will this season be regulated by the Wheat Controller, but nothing definite as to the proposals is so far available. Prices of millers' lines are as follow :*— Pearl barley, £32 10s; oatmeal, £3O. The local oat market is a little fritter. It is understood that 5s per bushel on truck*-, Taiefi, has been paid for heavy A G&rtoni

lor immediate delivery. There are few heavy A Gartons in the Taieri district this season. Meet lines_ run from 421 b to 431 b. The oat crop at the Taieri is, however, heavier this season than usual. Inquiries have been received for B Gartons at 5s 6d per bushel, f.0.b.5.i., spread delivery. There are, however, no sellers at this money. Canterbury has had a splendid crop of oats this season. Most of them .are of bright heavy quality. In Otago and Southland the cats will probably be bright, but on the light side. The dry weather experienced is the cause of the lightness. PRODUCE REPORT. The chaff market shows little change. Supplies are equal to the demand, with inquiry chiefly for prime quality. Potatoes have eased a little in price. The prospects in Southland of the main crop are very good, and the area under tubers shows an increase. >. Supplies of onions are' coming forward slowly.' Eggs have firmed in price during the week. Current wholesale prices are as follow: Fowl wheat, 83 per bushel, sacks extra (very scarce). Chaff: Prime oaten sheaf, £7 10s; medium and poor quality, £5 to £6 (hard to quit). Onions, 12s 6d to 14s per cwt. Eggs: Fresh, 2s Id to 2s 2d; stamped, 2s 3d to 2s 4d. Butter: Milled, bulk, best, Is 5d to Is s£d; separator pats, to Is sd. Maigerine, Is 3Jd per lb. Pigs: Prices nominal; supplies short. Bacon, Is 8d per lb. « FRUIT REPORT. Business has been brisk in the fruit marts during the week. Supplies of tomatoes have increased considerably, but sound lots meet a steady demand. Peaches are more plentiful this week, bu'. the demand continues firm. . Plums are not eo plentiful. Any good lines meet a ready gale. Some large lines of pears have reached the market from Otago Central and Canterbury Buyers show a preference for the Centralgrown fruit. Lower prices rule for apples, in the face of fairly heavy supplies from Canterbury and Nelson. A shipment of bananas is due to arrive to-morrow (Saturday) by the Monowai. Prices are expected to rule high, as the shipment is only a moderate one. Tahiti oranges should be on the market by the end cf this month or the, beginning of April, Increased supplies of grapes have caused prices to ease a little. French beans and peas meet a fairly keen market. Other vegetables are not in great demand, householders no doubt obtaining supplies from their own gardens. Current wholesale prices are as follow: Dessert apples: Worcester Pearmains, to 8s; Cox's Orange Pippin, 7s 6d to 8s 6d; others, ljd to 2d per lb; cookers, lid to 2d per lb. " • Oranges: American, 50a per double case. Hothouse tomatoes: Local, 9d to Is per lb; Christchurch ,outside-grown, to 6d; Nelsongrown, Gs to 7s 6d per case, if ripe; greea and rough, os; Otago Central, 4£d to 6Jd per lb. Lemons: Californian, 50s per double case. Plums: Cooking, 4s to 6s per case; dessert, 8d to 5d per lb. Grapes, Is to Is 5d per lb. Peaches: Crates, choice, to 6d; prime, 3d to 4dj cases, 2£d to Sd. Apricotß (about the finish): Small, 3d to 4d per lb; crates, 5d to 6d per lb. Carrots, Is per dozen bunches. Cabbage: Medium size, Is to Is 6d per

dozen ; prime, 3s per dozen; sacks, to 6s for choice; second grade, 2s to 2s 6dl per sack; inferior, Is to Is 6d. Cauliflowers: Medium, 2s to 3s per dozen; prime, §s to 8s per dozen. Lettuce: Choice, to 2s per dozen heads; medium, Is. Potatoes: New locals—Peninsula 2d per lb, Forbury to lid to l|d; Taieri and Oamaru, • 12s to 14s per cwt. ! Cucumbers: Hothouse, small, 5s to 6s per dozen; large, to 8s; outside-grown, 2s to 3s 6d per dozen. 1 Peas, 2Jd to BJd per lb. I French beans, to 4d; old, 2d to 2Jd. Table swedes, 2s 6d per case. Robinson's patent groats and barley show a sharp advance in price. Advice received during the' week by cablegram fro-n Singapore states that still a further increase has taken place in the price of sego and tapioca. Local prices now show a heavy increase on,pre-war values. The export of lentils has been prohibited from India in the meantime. Local stocks are "getting into small compass. The manufacturers advise an increase of 2d per lb in the price of Burmah candles. The distributing rate is now Is 3&d per lb. A shipment of Queensland pineapples in 2Jlb tirrs has just come to hand. They are quoted at. 23s per dozen. A parcel of shelled peanuts, which have been in very short supply for some considerable time, is now at the wharf. The quotation is Is per lb. Nugget cardboard polishing outfits are now quoted at 19s 6d per dozen. Bettles' rennet shows an increase of 3s per dozen. The current quotation is 13s 6d per dozen. A large shipment of bulk and carton dates has just landed. Stocks of this fruit have been short for the past two years. The nominal quote is 7Jd 'per lb for bulk, and 10s per dozen for cartons. Barry's tricopherous is another line which has been affected by the adverse American rate of exchange. Recently landed parcels show an increased cost. The distributing price in Dunedin is 25s per dozen. Supplies of Kolynos are now plentiful at 15s 3d per dozen. Recent advices from the East state that camphor has doubled in price. Senior's linoleum reviver has been advanced by 2s 6d per dozen. A new agency line—nutrp salad oil—is quoted at 13s 6d per dozen bottles. Cream cornflour is again, on the market.