THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3614, 19 June 1923, Page 15

THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Friday evening. On several occasions during the last month or so optimistic reference has been made in cable messages from England and the United States as to the Russian wheat crops this season. Reports have gone so far as to say that there was a promise of heavy exports after the harvest. Accurate information of the Russian cereal crops is difficult to obtain. Late in March advices had been received in London, stating that keen frosts, accompanied by heavy snow falls in seme districts, had been experienced in the northern half of the country. In the south milder conditions had prevailed, and rains had {alien in parts. The area sown to winter grain in the whole of the Republic was provisionally estimated at 70,000,000 acres, whicji was said to be IS per cent, above that of a year ago, and 6 per cent, more than tho area planted in 1920-21. According to a recent Times report from Riga, additional quantities of grain had arrived at that port from Soviet Russia for export, and from 30 to 120 trucks of grain were said to be passing daily for export through Esthonia, but it was believed that a large portion of this produce was American grain presented to Russia by relief organisations. It was feared by the authorities that much -of the Russian grain arriving at Riga would be the means of distributing disease, for a quantity of it had been taken from peasants' homes, which in many cases were infected with typhus and other diseases.

LOCAL Ma.iI.KETS. Millers are still keen buyers of any lines of good quality wheat, but at present there | are not very many lines offering from growers, j Some of these are 011 the soft side, and will | have to be held by farmers til! later on 1:1 I the season. With better condition they will j probably be accepted by millers, who may j .require all fairly suitable lots before the ; new season's v.-heat is available. A large ! quantity of milling wheat is now coming ' forward from Canterbury, this having Ken secured by Dunedin millers when the re- . port came to hand of an anticipated shortage, j Local agents report that the demand for j seed wheat this season is practically negli- ' gibie. In consequence of the flooded state ; of most of the low lying country it is not j considered that much winter wheat will be sown in South Otago or Southland, and it is douljtiul, moreover, it the ground can be ; got ready for spring sowing. The demand is firm for fowl wheat. Lines | that will pass as good whole, are readily ! saleable at 4s 2d per bushel, sacks extra, de- j livered Dunedin. Shipping inquiries ate j being received from the North Island, and i sales can be effected at 4s (id per bushel, sacks extra, f.o.b. The following are .quotations for produce | to bo paid to farmers at country stations, 1 sacks extra, unless otherwise 3t,a ted: Wheat, | Tuscans, 5s lid, Hunters, 5s old; Pearl, 5s j Dunedin millers’ prices are as follow: I Flour, 2001 b, £ls 10s per ton; 100's, £l6 10s; ' 50'3, £l7; 25's, £l7 19s. Bran, £5 10s per i ton. Pollard, £7 10s. Oatmeal: ii'a, £2O; 200's. £l9. The oat market is weak, with very little inquiry for grade oats. Most of the business to the North Island is being done on sample for under-grade line 3, these being placed at 3s to 3s Id, f.0.b., s.i. Owing to the poor consumptive demand, North Island buyers arc finding that under-grade oats are good enough to meet their purposes, and that is the reason why they are not paying much attention to A's or B's. The demand from Australia has practically ended, following on the estimate of a large surplus in Victoria. The Tasmanian crop hu3 also been a heavy one. The present prices t-o farmers are 2s 9d, sacks extra, on trucks, country sidings, for A’s and 2s 7d for B's. Merchants, however, are not keen buyers at these figures. PRODUCE REPORT. The chaff market is purely local, and remains at £5 10s per ton for best quality, sacks extra, delivered in Dunedin. There is an j absence of shipping inquiries, and the only j orders being executed are in pursuance of foi. I ward business. The importation of a- large j quantity of chaff to Auckland from Vic- | toria must have a serious effect on ship- ; ments from this end. Shippers from Dunwill be forced to accept about £1 per ton less than they were previously able to secuie, and the market may further weaken if the imports from Victoria continue. Consignments of chaff from the country are showing a large percentage of discoloured and damaged lines, and it is difficult to make sales of this chaff at £3 10s to £4 per ton, j sacks extra, ex store, Dunedin. The shipping market for potatoes i 3 firm, 1 and sales are being made to the North Island j from Canterbury at up to £lO 103 per ton, j f.0.b., s.i., prompt delivery. The local mar- j ket is higher, prices fer sound tubers raV.g- j ing from £ll to £ll 10s per tun, sacks in- , eluded, i.x trucks, Dunedin. It is reported j that there is a likelihood of Australian pota- j toes being imported to New Zealand. Reports from Tasmania intimate that j officials of the State Department of Agricul- [ ture expect a record crop this season. Last 1 year Tasmanian growers cultivated 37,0»0 acres of potatoes, averaging three tons to the acre, but this year 36,020 acres are under :

crop, and it is estimated that the average yield will be at least three tons to the acre. Exports from the north-west coast to the mainland States last season, were 1,000,999 bags, while approximately 300,000 bags were taken for consumption in the State, and a corresponding quantity was held for seed purposes. The superintendent of Agriculture in Tasmania estimates the value of the crop this year at £1,000,000. Recently the Department of Agriculture introduced a system of grading under officers of the Government. Certificates indicating the grade and quality of potatoes are issued, and in this way officials of the department hope to enhance the market price of the products, and also 10 protect the consumers. Eggs have dropped another 3d per dozen. Other quotations are unaltered from last week. Current local wholesale prices are as follow : Chaff.—Good quality, £5 10s; medium and light, £3 10s to £4. Potatoes, £ll to £ll 10s. Dairy Butter. —Bulk, Is 11(1; pats, la Ivd; milled, Is od. Melbourne onions, £lO per ton. Eggs.—Stamped, 2s; unstamped, Is 9d; preserved, Is 6d. Bacon. —Rolls, Is per lb; sides, lid. Hams, Is 2d ; boneless, Is 3d. - FRUIT REPORT. The market has been over supplied with apples and pears and to effect sales low prices have had to be accepted. A case of apples can be bought very cheaply in the iruit marts to-day. _ The Mo-eraki, from Melbourne, via Wellington, brought a fairly heavy shipment oE grapes, and a small line of lemons and navel oranges. The Waikouaiti, from Sydney via the Bluff, brought mandarins, pines, and passions. The mandarins are practically the first from Sydney this year. The fruit opened out fairly well, although some of the mandarins were on the green side. A shipment of Island oranges, transhipped at Wellington, ex the San Francisco boat, was brought on by the Hoimdale. As, however, the whole shipment was on the light side, a smaller quantity than, usual came to Dunedin. Advices from Wellington state that no more are available there. Californian lemons and oranges also arrived by llie Hoimdale. These met with a good sale. The feature of the vegetable market has been the high prices for cauliflowers. Cabbages also show an improvement in price. Carrots, parsnips, and swedes have a good inquiry. The following are the latest wholesale prices : Apples.—Dessert Jonathans, 5s to 7s per case; Delicious and Cieopatras, 8s to 10s per case lor choice.; cookers, is to 5s 6d for best; medium. 3s; inferior, 2s to 2s Od. Pines, 22s Od. Tomatoes. —Local hothouse, to Is 6d. Grapes. —Local, Is to 2s Od tier lb; Victorian, 25s to 28s per box. Lemons.- —American, 003 ; Adelaide, 23s ; Victorian, 235. Passions, to 22s 6d. Mandarins, to 22s 6d. Oranges.lsland, 20s to 22s 6d. Pears.—Dessert, lid to 2d for best; small, 2s per case; cooking, Id to I pi per lb. Cauliflowers, 13s to 15s per sacks for choice; prime, 10s to 12s ; loose, 2s to 7s per dozen. Cabbages, 6s to 9s per sack; medium, 3s to

Lettuce, 2s per dozen; inferior, Is per box. Beetroot, Is to 13 4d per dozen. Parsnips, Is Od per dozen bunches: 93 per cwt. Carrots. Is per dozen bunches; 7s per cwt. Marrows, 7s (id per sack. Pie melons. —New Zealand grown, Its to 16s per cwt ; Victorian, 18s to 19s per cwt. MER C HA N DlB E M A IIK ET. A shipment of sugar is due to arrive 11 the market early next week The new season's salmon prices arc now available. A shipment of Palmer's royal vestas arrived during the week. Prices for the new season’s Hawaiian l>ines show an increase on those of last year. Limited quantities only are available. htud pines, State pack, show a slight reduction in price. The Waitemala, now at the wharf, lias brought a small consignment <>£ Singapore pines. New- season's honey, in pats and lib and 2‘b pottles, is now available. The Moeraki, from Melbourne, discharged tair supplies of Mildura sultanaa and currants. These are being readily taken up by the trade. She also brought a large consignment of tea, transhipped at Melbourne, Havelock plug tobacco, and a very large consignment of onions. The V ainou uti, from Sydney, has oil board dressed lice, and transhipments ex steamers from Hongkong, Colombo, and Baltic ports. The V. aitemata, from Singapore and Calcutta. has brought supplies of sago and tapioca to a bare market. The sago will go into immediate consumption. Further supplies of both lines are expected via Australia. The Waitemala also carries candles from Rangoon and a parcel of Rangoon rico. The new season's prices for Norton's egg preservative are now announced. A slight reduction is announced. Pacific canned apricots and peaches have been reduced by Is 6d per dozen. The Rimutaka and Tairoa brought supplies of carbonate of soda, caustic soda, salt, C. and B. goods, Lea and Perrin's sauce, and numerous other oilmen’s stores. The British Imperial Oil Company's steamer Havre brought a large shipment of motor spirits. Luncheon 3ausage, which has been off the market for some time, will be available again at an early date.