THE BHEADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3488, 18 January 1921, Page 13

THE BHEADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Friday avoning. According to information given by the Victorian Wheat Commission, quotations may now bo obtained for wheat to bo gristed into flour for export to New Zealand, January-February-March (1921) shipment, at 10s Sd per bushel. From midnight on December 31—until further notice—the new price of 9s per bushel for wheat will operate in regard! to both old and new stocks. In addition an increase equivalent to the advance in tho price of wheat will apply to all stocks of flour exceeding half a ton in the hands of bakers aiid other traders. Cable advice received by Lindley Walker

Co-operative Company, Ltd., Melbourne, from its Liverpool agent, states: Latest news ot the Argentine crop is favourable. It is understood here that supplies of wheat in the United Kingdom are sufficient for requirements till ihe middle of April. France is equally well situated, but other part*?, of Europe have only a scanty supply. LOCAL MARKETS. . Some of the local millers are still experiencing difficulty in obtaining supplies of hard wheat for mixing—one mill, in fact, has had to close down for want of velvet wheat. No new season's wheat lias yet reached the local market. The Wheat Controller is now being communicated with in an endeavour to get a further supply. Millers’ prices are as follow: —Flour, per ton; 100’s, £lB 10s; 50’s, £l9; 25's, Bran, £8 15s per ton. Pollard, £lO 15s. Pearl barley, £35. Oatmeal, £25 per ton. The local oat market is quiet, and the only business passing i 3 for small lines of A. and B Gartons for immediate requirements.

These are being offered at 3s 3d and Ss 2d, f.0.b.5.i., for prompt shipment. Fair stocks are still held by merchants, and from present appearances these will have to be carried over to the new season. The dry j weather experienced in Canterbury will pro- I bably affect the crop there, but it remains to' be seen to what extent. A good deal of speculative business is being done in new season’s oats, and forward sales have been made at up to 3s 3d, f.0.b.5.i., spread delivery. The opening prices for the new season’s crop may be given as 2s to 2s 3d per bushel, sacks extra, on trucks. A few crops have been cut in Otago Central, and cutting will commence on the Taieri . in from three to four weeks’ time. New season’s Algerians are- already offering | in Canterbury, and the first samples are of good bright quality. The prospects for re- j rnunerativc prices to growers are not bright, ! as even should the dry weather affect the j yields the carry-over from the past season and the fact that Australia is offering at. low

values will more than balance any short yield in the new crop. Hales of Australian machine-dressed and clipped Algerians have been made to the North Island at 3s to 3s Cd, f.0.b.5.i., and the lower price is now the general quotation. These quotations must mean a heavy loss to Canterbury merchants, who have old Algerians in store which cost them up to Cs 6d on trucks. One or two samples of the new season’s ryegrass have been offered from Canterbury, but the quality is not suitable for local requirements. .Further samples are expected, and it will not bo long before the Southland grown grass will be on the market, as the present dry weather is quickly ripening off the crops. According to reports the seed is expected to be heavy and clean. There are still fair stocks of old season’s seed left, and these may have a weakening effect on the prices for tho new season’s crop. PRODUCE REPORT. There is very little local demand for chaff, and as fair supplies are coming to hand tho

market is easier. Best chaff is worth to-dav £7 per ton, sacks extra, ex truck. This price is below the Canterbury shipping price, which is given as £6 15s, f.o.b.s.i. The local market has a downward tendency. Forward sales of potatoes have been made from Canterbury at £5 to £5 15s, f.0.b.5.i., delivery in April, May, and June. The prospects are that growers will receive better prices this year than they obtained last season. Good Melbourne Globe onions are quoted at 16s per cwt. There has been a sudden drop in the price of eggs, sales having been made at down to Is 6d per dozen. Some supplies coming to hand are not just as fresh as they 7 should be. The demand keeps up for dairy butter, and no difficulty is experienced in placing supplies. The prices for hams and rolls show a tendency to ease. Current wholesale prices are as follow: Chaff: Sound oaten sheaf, £7; mechnxn, £6. Eggs, Is 6d to Is 7d per dozen. Dairy butter: Pats, Is 9d; bulk, milled, Is lOd. Margarine, Is 2wl per lb. Pigs: Prices irregular. Bacon: Rolls, up to Is 9d per lb; sides, Is Bd. Hams, Is 9d to Is 9id. fruit report. Business has been very brisk in the fruit marts during the week. Supplies of stone fruit from Otago Central have been unequal to the demand, and all lots coming forward are quickly bought up. Few lots of dessert apples are on the market. Choice quality would bring high prices. Supplies of cherries eased off towards the end of tile week, and prices have firmed as a consequence. All lots of tomatoes meet a ready sale. The market couid do with a larger quantity. The supply of plums is not equal to the demand. Prices rule high for raspberries, supplies of which are quickly sold under the hammer. Grapes are a little more plentiful. Prices during the week ranged from 2s 2d to 2s 6u per lb, with an unsatisfied demand. The strike in Australia has stopped supplies of oranges, and the market is very short of supplies. No date can be given when fresh consignments will be to hand. Heavy supplies of new potatoes reached the market towards the end of the week from the Taieri, North Otago, and South Canterbury. Prices for the locally-grown tubers receded as a consequence. Auckland-grown potatoes are almost unsaleable. Current wholesale prices are as follow: Dessert apples: Stunners, to 20s; American, to 27s 6d ; French Crabs, 8s to 10s. Lemons: Californian, 455. Oranges: Market bare. Cherries, Is to Is 3d per lb; choice, to Is 7d. Tomatoes -.Christchurch, Is 3d to Is 7d; local, Is 4d to Is 9d. Gooseberries, green, IJd to 2d. Strawberries, 2s to 2s 3d). Plume: Dessert, to Gju!; cooking, 4d. Apricots: Best, to 8d; cooking, 4d to sd. Peaches: Choice dessert, lOd; cooking, 3Jd to 5Jd. New potatoes: Auckland, almost unsaleable, 5s per cwt; local-grown, l|d to 3d. Green, peas, IJd to 2ict. Cucumbers: Local hothouse, 9s to 15s per dozen. Table carrots: New season's, Is 6d to 2s per dozen bunches. Radishes, 6d per dozen bunches. Turnips, 6d to 9d per dozen bunches. Parsnips, Is 3d to Is Scl per dozen bunches. Cabbages: Best, to 3s per dozen; medium, to 2® per sack; prime, 3s to 6s per sack. Cauliflowers: Medium, 2s to 4s per dozen; sacks—prime 6s to 7s, medium 3s to 4s. Rhubarb, 2s 6d per dozen bunches; ljd to 2cl per lb. Le-ttuce, Is to 2s fid per case. Spring onions, 2d to 3d per bundle of six bunches. MERCHANDISE MARKET. The price of Clever Mary has been increased by 6d per dozen. C. and B. essence of lemon is now quoted at 15s 6d per dozen. Vanilla and cochineal are quoted considerably above this price. Further supplies of Brown and Poison’s Indian cornflour have arrived on the market. Pearson’s sandsoap is again on the market. The current quotation is 22s per case. A reduction has taken place in the price of hams, which are now quoted at Is Sd per lb. Stocks are plentiful. A fresh shipment of Brooks’s lemon squash has arrived from Melbourne, ex the Paloona, Stocks of Bell’s 250's and royals are again practically exhausted, so far as the wholesale houses are concerned. Ccreo has been reduced to 17s per dozen. The new season's II green peas, 2lb tins, are now on the market. The local price of pepper has been reduced 3d per lb and ground rice Jd per lb. 0 ore ten a is quoted at 18s per dozen. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLEGRAM. V ELLINGTON, January 10. The following is the High Commissioner’s cablegram, under date London, January 8: Meat.—Home-killed) supplies are small', with higher prices, owing to the closing of several markets on account of foot-and-mouth disease. The closing prices are:—Beef. Is mutton, Is 9id; lamb, 2s per lb; but higher prices ruled early in the week. New Zealand mutton and lamb are in active demand at full prices. New Zealand beef—ox, lojd; and 7£d per lb; cow, 9d! and 6fd per lb"; hinds and fores respectively. Frozen pork is selling at Is 2d to Is fid per lb. Butter.—For Engli-h the average price is £24 os per cut. For Irish there are veryslow sales,, at a declining price. Salt, £l6 16s per cwt; unsalted is being held for £22 per cwt nominal, with no demand. Cheese. —There is a restricted demand for English, and quotations are barely maintained. Finest farmers, £7 as to £9 per cwt. For Canadian the demand has improved and prices are firmer. White, £7 12s to £7 14s per cwt; coloured, £7 16s to £8 per cwt. Hemp: Manila is in active demand at an advanced price. J grade, Octobcr-December shipment, sold at up to £6O per ton, and the Jantiary-M-areh shipment at up to £6O 10s per ton. For New Zealand the market is quiet and steady. Nominal quotations are: High point, spot, £sl per ton; January-March shipment. £52 per ton ; fair, £52 and £SO per ton respectively. Honey : The market is dull, with very little doing. New Zealand first grade is nominally 85s per cwt, and lower grades down to 55s per cwt. THE OAMAEU MARKETS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) OAMAEU, January 15. There is scarcely', anything to report in the way of business in the local markets. So far as grain is concerned the only transaction reported is the sale of a line of last season’s oats, being li grade Gartons, which changed hands at a country station at 2s 6d, the price to grower being reducible by brokerage. Instead of the rain needed to perfect grain development, heat was experienced for five days in succession, and this has had the effect of

completing the ripenin" of a good number of crops and* carrying others beyond the stage at which they could be benefited by moisture; so that the nice rain that fell last night over a considerable part of North Otago will not do much to help the cereal harvest. *- u t it will prove beneficial to root crops and if it should be followed by more rain, which appears probable at the time of writ--1 y-■ the feed outlook will undergo a pleasing change. The harvest has now commenced in earnest, being some weeks earlier than in the two previous years. This earliness spells poorness of yields in a great many instances and a low general average in oats and barley, and a modest average in wheat. The reapers and binders have this week been chiefly engaged upon oats, of which a good area is already in stook and will be ready for thrashing very' soon unless rain intervenes. Some fields of wheat have been cut, and reaping will be going on -merrily ourmg the incoming week if the ripening process is not arrested by a material change m the weather conditions. SOUTHLAND MARKET REPORT. (From Opr own Correspondent.) INVERCARGILL, January 15. Owing to the very dry season we are experiencing, oats are heading very short and thin. The area under crop is very niuoh more than last year, but the yield will be very much less, and not of such good quality as the previous year. On heavy soils there arc some fair crops, but on light lands the crops are very thin. There is more inquiry for oats on spot, and A grade Gartona ere saleable at 3s Id f.0.b., s.i. Hai vesting operations for ryegrass are now m progress There are some good yields in places, but generally the seed will be light, -and probably affected by the late frost. The area shut up for seed tins season is less than last year and the yield also will be very much less. The demand for chaff is not very good; consequently prices have declined. The price for good quality chaff is now from £6 to £6 6s per ton on trucks, country stations, with poor demand. The London market for hemp is slightly firmer, high fair being now quoted at £53 c.i.f. There are very few mills working in bouthiand at, present, and those that are working are just producing enough to keep tiio Jocal twine mills going. HIDE AND SHEEPSKIN SALES. (From Our Own Correspondent.* AUCKLAND, January 11. The first hide sales held since December 14 were conducted in Auckland to-day. There was a full bench of buyers, southern firms being represented. Bidding was better than usual and competition was spirited. The first sheepskin sales held! since 1915 were also conducted, the prices for full woolskills being easier, and the remainder on a par with prices ruling at the last Auckland sale. The prices for heavy hides were practically the same as at tho last sale, while calfskins sold better. Heavy hides are reported to have sold for BJd to 9d per lb, and a few extra heavy hides to l»Jd per lb. Cow hides realised from BJd to 10fd per lb, and faulty hides, for which there was little ot no competition, -were sold at 3d to 5d per lb. At the sheepskin sales dry full-wool skins fetchel 4d to s£d per lb. Salted full-wool sheepskins were sold at 4s 9d to 5s 8d each. This season’s salted shorn pelts sold for Is 6d to 2s each, and spring lambskins for Is 6d to 2s 3d each. Faulty and damaged skins sold at relatively low prices. HIDE AND SKIN SALES. WELLINGTON. January 14. Tne first sale this year of hides and skins was held here to-day. There was an average attendance of buyers, and bidding was fairly general, only , occasionally being spirited. Prices for the hides, skins, and tallow offered were practically on a par with the rates ruling before Christmas. SHEEPSKIN SALE. The Dunedin Woolbrokers’ Association reports as follows:—The first sale since the Government commandeer, which was lifted in October, was held on the 10th, and large catalogues were offered to a full attendance of buyers both from the north and south. Competition was keen to within a certain limit, and prices showed an advance on previous reports received from the north. Merina, 6Jd to 8-d; first halfbrcd, 7|d to 9Jd; halfbred, 6Jdl to 7 jd; fine crossbred, Gld to 7|d; first crossbred, sjd to 6|d; crossbred, 4d to sd; hoggets, 51d to G£d; lambskins, 5d to s|d; pelts, 2d to 3fd. RABBITSKIN SALE. The Dunedin Voolbickers’ Association reports as follows.--A rabbitskin sale was held on Monday, January 10, when small catalogues were offered) by the various selling agents. Bidding was brighter than that of the previous sale, and prices showed a slight rise. Quotations: —Summers, 6d to 8d; milky does, 6d to 7d; spring does, 9d to 12d; spring bucks, lid to 14cT; early autumns, 19d to 22d; autumns, 20d to 25d; fawns, 5d to 9d; weevily, 5d to 7d; winters, 20d to 28d; hareskins, fid to 8d; horsehair, 14d to 18d.