THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRO. DUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3763, 27 April 1926, Page 20

THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRO. DUCE MARKETS.

Friday Evening. The Liverpool Corn Trade News, of February 23, estimated wheat importing countries’ requirements for the twelve months ending July 31 at 82,000,000 quarters (Europe 67,000,000 quarters, ex Europe 15,000,000 quarters). Total available surpluses of exporting countries was put down at 95,500,000 quarters, and estimated exports at 82,000,000 quarters. The following are the details:—

The position as regards the milling wheat market has now become more settled. Millers in some instances are holding heavy supplies of wheat, sufficient, in fact, to keep them going right through till next season. The decreased demand for flour, consequent on the importations from Australia, is one of the chief reasons why millers’ stocks of wheat need not be so heavy as in previous seasons. Millers are now refusing to pay more than the prices they agreed to offer some weeks ago, and notwithstanding that some growers are declining to accept these values, millers say that they can buy at the prices offered—namely, 6s 8d for Tuscan, 6s lOd for Hunters, and 7s for velvet, f.o.b. A considerable quantity of second-grade wheat is being threshed in the south, and this will have to be sold as fowl wheat. Millers' prices for flour remain unchanged as follows:—2001b, £lB 10s; 100’s, £l9 10s; 50’s, £2O 2s Gd; 25’s, £2O 10s. Bran, £8 10s per ton. Polla: 1, £9 10s. Oatmeal: 25's, £25; 200’s, £24. The oats market is stagnant. The prices being offered to farmers are 3s 4d for A Gartons and 3s Id for B’s, on trucks, sacks extra. Merchants are offering A’s at 4s 4d, f.0.b., s.i.. and B’s at 4s Id, but the offers are meeting with little response. The chaff market is very quiet, and prices for best quality range about £5 10s, with a little higher price for choice lines. A fair quantity of potatoes is coming to th© market. .Prices for best quality range from &7 5s to £7 10s, sacks in. ex storo. The supply is fully equal to the demand. A considerable quantity i* being

held in stores for higher prices. The Karetu took about 2750 sacks for the Sydney market, and the Waikouaiti, due to «ail from here about May 14, is expected to take another 4000 sacks for the same market. Current wholesale pricee for produce lines are as follows Chaff, £5 10s to £5 15s per ton. Potatoes, £7 5s to £7 10s per ton. Dairy Butter.—Best milled bulk, Is 3d and Is 4d per lb, according to quality; separator pats, Is 2d to Is 3d. Eggs.—Stamped, 3s; case, 2s lOd to 2s lid; preserved, 2s Id. Bacon.—Rolls, Is 3d per lb. Hams, is 3d per lb; boneless. Is 4d. Canterbury onions, 17s 6d per cwt. FRUIT REPORT. Fairly heavy supplies of apples and pears are reaching the market. The demand foi outside grown tomatoes has eased off. and anything below beat quality is hard to place. Prices for local hot-house tomatoes have eased in sympathy. The Waipihi. due here on Tuesday, is bringing transhipments of bananas, ex Tofua. Reports state that the shipment is again a light one. The Waipihi will also bring passion fruit and Auckland-grown lemons. Tahiti-grown oranges are now on the market. The quality is improving with each shipment. Vegetables are in over-supply, and even with the low prices sales are hard to make. Current wholesale prices are as follow: Apples.—Cox’s Orange, choice 12s 6d; medium, 6s to 7s; Jonathans, 7s to 9s for prime; cookers, 4s 6d to ss. Oranges.—lsland. 27s 6d. Lemons.—ltalian, 27s 6d; Auckland to arrive next week. Tomatoes. —Christchurch, choice, lid to 2d; Central, lid to 3d; seconds, Id; local hothouse. 2d to 3d. Quinces, lid to 2d. Peaches.—Crates, 4d to 5d per lb. Grapes.—Local, Is 3d to 2s. Pears.—Dessert, l£d to 2£d per lb; cookine, lid to 2d. Peas, 2d to 3id. Rhubarb, 2d to 3d per lb. Cabbages.—Choice. Is 6d to 3s per sack of two dozen; others unsaleable. Australian melons, 14s per cwt. Cauliflowers, 3s to 5s per sack containing a dozen (choice onlv); others slow of sale. Celery, 4d to 6d per bunch of four sticks. Lettuce: Choice, 4s per dozen. Blackberries, 5s to 7s r>er bucket of 121 b. Spinach, Is’ 6d per dozen bundles. White turnips, Is per dozen bunches. Spring onions, 2d per bundle of six bunches. Parsnips, 8s 6d per cwt. New potatoes, 8s to 9s per cwt. New season’s swedes, 4s to 5s per cwt. French beans, 4d to 6d. Runner beans, 3d to sd.

Available Estimated surplus. exports. Quarters. Quarters. U.S.A 8,000,000 Canada .. 40,500,000 38,000,000 Argentina .. .. 19,000,000 17,000,000 Australia .. .. 9,000,000 8,000,000 Russia .. .. 8,000,000 India .. .. .. 1,000,000 1,000,000 Danube and Hungary .. 8,000,000 4,000,000 North Africa, Chili, etc 3,000,000 Total .. .. 95,500,000 82,000,000 LOCAL MARKETS.