THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3673, 5 August 1924, Page 16

THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Fridav rnenin* At Wednesday’s meeting of the North Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union the question of the growing and marketing of wheat was discussed. the Chairman, Mr J. D. Hall, stated that a scheme had been drafted for the growing and marketing of wheat. The question of the price depended on the amount imported .and the prices fixed in New Zealand. The question was, should the Wheat Board be put in a position where it would he representative of the districts, or should the farmers form a separate co-operative association. That was the question which the board asked the farmers to decide. It was also a question whether the support of the wheatgrowers could be secured lor this cooperative association in time to handle the wheat crops of 1925. The speaker stated that a report should be secured from the Wheat Board. He asked members’ opinions whether or not the union should apjroint representatives to discuss the matter with me hoard at a conference early in August. Messrs J. D. Hall and A. M. Carpenter were appointed to meet the Wheat Board in conference as requested. LOCAL MARKETS. Business in the milling wheat market is confined practically to. the sale of a few odd lines. The next item of interest in the milling market will be the arrival of the Australian wheat by the Waimarino. Fowl wheat continues firm in price. There is very little on offer. The nominal value to-day is 6s per bushel. No shipping business is being recorded. Dunedin millers’ x>rices are as follow': Flour, 2(>olb, £ls 10s per ton; 100’s, £l6 10s; 50’s, £l7; 25’s, £l7 10s. Bran, £6 per ton. Pollard, £7. Oatmeal: 25’s, £3O; 200's, £29. The oat market has taken a sudden change, and prices show a sharp advance. The oat market has hardened still further during the week, and sales have been effected on a basis of 6s per bushel, ex store, for lines suitable for seed. There has also been a demand, on behalf of over-sellers, for A grade Gartons. A Gar-tons, however, are almost unobtainable, and their nominal value is in the vicinity of 6s 6d per bushel, f.0.b., s.i., B grade are quoted at 5s 9d, f.0.b., s.i., forward delivery, and 6s, f.0.b., s.i., is being asked for prompt delivery of actual oats held in stores. Not many lines, hou'ever of either A’s and B’s are changing hands. ’ Cocksfoot seed is a shade easier, following on the easier tone of Danish seed oh the London market. It is expected that there will be a fair demand this month for all varieties of seeds for sowing, as the weather conditions in the country are favourable. PRODUCE REPORT. The chaff market in Canterbury shows signs of firming. O am aro w'as supplying the local market with chaff a little while ago, but merchants there are now buying from the outside markets. There is prac-

tically no chaff offering from Southland, and local requirements for the remainder of the season will have to be filled from Canterbury. Good quality chaff is worth £8 5s to £8 10s per ton, on trucks, Dunedin. An appreciable advance has taken place in the price of potatoes during the past few days. From £4 15s on Monday, forward quotations advanced in Canterbury to £6 on Thursday, and the market continues firm. The rise has been due partly to forward sellers covering for August delivery and partly to the slight rise announced in the f.o.b. quotation for Australian potatoes. The quotation to-day is round about £6, f.0.b., s.i., for f.a.q. white tables, August-September delivery. Good lines of tables, however, are difficult to obtain, and the price for these ex store, is up to £7. There is no shipping business at the present time from Dunedin . A reduction of 2d per dozen has taken place m the price of eggs during the week. Onions have again advanced in price. Current local wholesale prices are as follow : Chaff.—Good quality, £8 5s to £8 10s ex truck. Potatoes, £7 per ton. Dairy Butter.—Best milled, bulk, Is 5d per lb; separator pats, Is sd. Eggs.—Stamped, Is 8d; unstamped, Is 7d. Bacon.—Rolls, to Is Id per lb; sides, Is. la 2d to Is 3d per lb; boneless, Is Onions.—Melbournes, prices irregular • up to 22s per cwt. ’ r FRUIT REPORT. A small shipment of New South Wales grown mandarins and oranges came to hand during the week and met a good market. A line of Island oranges also came forward, but these did not open out in very good condition. Some fairly' large quantities of poorman oranges from Auckland were offered in the marts, but they met a poor sale. The apple market is slightly firmer. Cookers have a very good inquiry, and Stunners and a few lines of Rokewoods have also sold well. It is expected that the price of desserts mtist improve, as cookers are now almost realising the values of desserts. A email line of Tahiti oranges, repacked in Wellington, are due here to-morrow (Saturday). Fairly large quantities of pears from Canterbury cool stores have, arrived on the market. These have met a good demand. The feature of the sales in the marts this week has been the prices realised for cauliflowers and cabbages. Sacks containing 30 small cauliflowers have realised practically a shilling each. Extra large cauliflowers sold at 2s each. Large-sized cabbages were sold at 15s to 18s per dozen. The following are the latest wholesale prices: Apples.—Delicious, 12s to 15s; Stunners, 8s to 10s 6d; cookers, 8s to 9s 6d per case. Pears.—ln half-cases, sS 9d to 6s. Oranges.—lsland, 16s to 18s; Sydney 18s to 21s. Lemons.—Auckland cured, to 15fl; Italian, 16s Cd; American, 30s to 32s 6d. Mandarins, 21s to 245. Passions, 14s to 16s 9d. Cabbages.—Choice, to 26s per sack; loose, to 12s per % dozen; savoy s, to 13s 6d per sack. Cauliflowers.—Choice, to 29s per sack; medium, to 14s; small and inferior, 4s to 6s; loose, prime, 20s to 24s per dozen; medium size, 14s t-o 15s; small, 4s to Bs. Beetroot, Is to Is 6d per dozen. Lettuce, Is to 3s per case. Swedes, 3s 6d per cwt. Spinach, 23 per dozen. Leeks, to 7d pea hurdle of six hunches. Radish, 9d per dozen Celery, 6d to 9d per bundle. Spring onions 3d per bundle for six bunches. Parsnips, Is per dozen; sacks, 8s to 9s per cwt. Carrots, 9d to Is per dozen bunches; 6s 6d to 8s Cd per cwt. Rhubarb, &s per dozen lib bunches. Brussel sprouts, lid ner lb MERCHANDISE MARKET. A parcel of Singapore pineapples, transhipped at Sydney, reached the market during the week. The Sussex, from Calcutta and Singapore, was listed to leave on August 8. She will bring consignments of sago, tapioca, and pin© apples. The Waikawa brought consignments of dried fruits and salmon from San Francisco. A line of pilchards was landed during the week. The. market is a little bare of currants. Clothes pegs have advanced in price by 6d per dozen. Locally manufactured black lacquer is now on the market at a reduced price as compared with outside manufactures. A small line of Canadian tinned peas has leached the market. Owing to the bad season in California, suppliers have been unable to execute more than '6O per cent, of their orders The Waimana has eupplies of boracic acid, borax, bicarbonate of soda, caustic soda, etc., amongst her merchandise cargo. The Kaikoura, due shortly, is bringing further supplies of salt. The market could do with further supplies of desiccated cocoanut. Prices p.re firm. Cube sugar is quoted at 47s per cwt, and cartons round about 11s 6d. These prices show a substantial reduction. Australian canned pears are not expected to be in such full supply as usual during the coming season. Some lines of chick food and lucerne have been advanced in price. Bulk cornflower is in fairly short supply. On August 1, section 2 of " The Sale of Foods and Drugs Act, 1908,” which requires, inter alia, that packages of flour up to 50lb must be full net weight, came into operation. In consequence of this the directors of Distributors (Limited) have decided to increase the price of flour in 50lb 'bags by 2s 6d per ton to cover the extra cost of flour so required.