THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3773, 6 July 1926, Page 22

THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Friday evening. The announcement of the Minister of Agriculture that he does not intend to remove the duty on imported milling wheat or to do anything in regard to placing an embargo on the importation of flour, clears the up position for the present. If millers want Australian milling wheat they will have to pay the duty of 2s per cental, and merchants and millers alike will have to pay the duty of £3 per ton on imported flour of .they desire to obtain supplies of this commodity. The Minister states that New Zealand flour millers are holding stocks of flour, and that there are still I,UUU,UOU bushels of New Zealand-grown wheat in growers’ hands. This is apart from the wheat held by millers. The decision of the Minister is quite definite, and it now remains to be seen if the millers will be able to continue to keep their mills idle, work off their present stocks of flour, and buy Australian fiour also in order to keep up their trade connections. Some of the millers are now adopting this attitude sooner than pay tne prices asked for New Zealand-grown wheat. There should not at any rate be any difficulty in supplying the New Zealand market with ftour for the next month or two. It is just a matter of wait anu see at the end of that period. As a result of the announcement by the Minister the local milling wheat market has weakened. Millers are holding off the market, but there cannot be a great deal of wheat left in first hands. As stated, the Minister gives the figure at 1,000,000 bushels, but if the price suited it would not take long to absorb this quantity. One leading Dunedin merchant who is in close touch with the milling industry gives it as his considered opinion that there is sufficient wheat and flour—including that imported—in New Zealand to-day to meet all requirements until the new season a wheat is available. . A _ Milling wheat is nominally quoted at 7s per bushel, sacks extra ; ex truck. The fowl wheat market is quiet, following on the milling position. Stocks are accumulating in the Dunedin store*. The current quotation is 6s 6d to os 9d per bushel, sacks extra, ex truck, Dunedin. Millers' prices for flour remain unchanged a* follows:-2001b. £lB 10.: 100’s, m io?-. V « * mi »\ Bran. £8 10s per ton. Pollard, £9 Hfc. Oatmeal. 255, £25, 200’s £24. # The oat market continues »n a stagnant condition, there befog an entire absence o! demand from the North Island centres. Stocks are sufficient to keep merchants going for some time. In the meantime, odd lots of oats are still offering from KDwert, but merchants are not keen to y . A*» are commercially quoted at 4a Bd to 4s 3d f.0.b., 5.1., and nr# worth 3< lid to 4s. t ... Under grade oats have been Inquired tor from the North Island, but so far little

business has resulted. It is thought that after the imported Chilian oats have been worked off there will be a better demand [torn the North Island. It is not antici pa ted, however, that there will bo much outside demand until next month. The potato market remains quiet. Shipments »re being sent to Australia from Canterbury in ••xeoution of forward orders and some lines are also going from Dun edin. The latest advice from Sydney states that New Zealand potatoes are realising about £ll per ton landed there. lhese potatoes have to be placed in new sacks, there is a duty of £1 per ton, and freight «nd other charges have also to be paid. Fairly heavy atocks of potatoes are held in store in Dunedin, and merchants are finding it a little difficult to make sales. Sound quality is worth £6 10s per ton, sacks included, ex store. It is noticeable that North Island merchants have not been buying in any quantity so far this season. A fair quantity of chaff has been shipped from Dunedin lately, but the shipping demand eased off this week. This falling away has l»een reflected on the local market, and geed quality is not now so readily saleable. Sound quality is worth from £5 10s to £5 15s per ton, sacks extra, ex truck. Medium and poor quality is slow ol Kale at £4 to £5 per- ton, sacks extra, ex store. . , Current wholesale prices for produce lines arc as follows: Chaff £5 10s to £5 15s. Potatoes, £6 l(b. , ~ Dairy Butter.—Best milled bulk, Is 3d to Is 4d per lb, according to quality; separator pats, Is 3d. Eggs.—Stamped, 2s; case, la lOd. Bacon.—Roll, Is 3d per lb. Hams. Is 3d per lb; boneless, Is 4d. Canterbury onions, 16s to IBs per cwt. FRUIT MARKET. The wholesale market is bare of citrus fruits. A few cases of lemons and mandarins are expected on Monday from Sydney, transhipped ex the Uhmaroa at Wellington. , . , ~ . The orange market is depending principally on Italian grown. The next shipment from Australia is awaited with interest and it is hoped it will be a large one. ‘ The fruit will be on board tne Karetu, which was to leave Sydney to morrow for Melbourne, thence Wellington, Lyttelton, and Dunedin. - Good dessert apples have a fair inquiry. The larger proportion of the apples reaching the market are small, and of inferior quality. Good cookers have a sound ihqlSorne nice pears of the Josephine variety have come forward from the Central The market could do with more. A email lot of hothouse tomatoes, from Timaru, brought round about 2s per lb. The tomatoes were of exceptionally high large quantity of Australiangrown grapes is still in wholesale hands. The wet weather has restricted the demand, and sales are slow. , . Supplies of bananas are on the short side. No advice is yet to hand of further shipments. . . Cauliflowers are in heavy supply. Put fair prices are being realised. Other vegetables are clow of sale. Current wholesale prices are as follow: Bananas.—Ripe, 30s to 355. Apples.—Delicious, choice, 7s od to Us; others 5s to 6s; Jonathans, fc to 7s lor prime; Stunners, 7s 6d to 8s 6a; cookers, 4s 6d to 6s. Oranges.—Adelaide, 22s 6d per case; navels, 22s 6d; Italian, 16s to 17s, half cases Australian grapes, 20s. Lemons. —Auckland, 22s 6d to 255.; Adelaide, 30s. Sydney mandarines, 22s 6d to 24s od per case. Pinee, 22s 6d to 25s per case. New Zealand passions, 22s 6d per box. Pears.—Dessert, prime, 2£d to 3d per lb. Rhubarb, 3d to 4d per lb. Cabbages—Choice. 2s to 4s per sack of two dozen. Cauliflowers, 7s to 9s per sack, containing a" dozen {choice only); others, 4s tC> Celery, 4d to 6d per bunch of four sticks. White turnips, Is per dozen bunches. Parsnips, 6s 6d per cwt. Carrots, 7s to 8s per cwt. Potatoes. 7s 6d to 8s 6d per cwt. Swedes, 3s to 4s per cwt. Marrows, lid per lb. Pumpkins, lid per lb. MERCHANDISE MARKET. The Wingatui discharged a cargo of sugar during the week. The next sugar boat will 1)6 Amongst the cargo landed ex Waitemata were supplies of Californian dried and canned fruits, “Snowcap” pilchards, and “Sunmald" puffed raisins (cartons). The raisins were all sold to arrive. Two or three agency lines of pineapples have arrived during the week. The Hertford has brought supplies or Crossfteld’s water glass, bulk cornflour, EngMsh cream of tartar, new seasons Robertson’s Golden Shred marmalade, etc. The Canterbury onion market shows a Arming tendency Supplies of Mildura sultanas will be short shipped, local merchants’ orders having been CU An °Australian Arm of vlgnerons writes as follows to a Dunedin merchandise Arm: **We had a surprise sprung on us on May 31 in regard to wine exports to New Zealand. Major Oakley. Comptroller of Customs, sent us the following telegram: * prime Minister, New Zealand, has notified that in view of payment of bounty on Australian wine sold to New Zealand causing serious detriment to New Zealand wine industry. he will he compelled to take action from June 10 next to Impose a dumping duty] unless in the meantime the payment of the bounty on Australian ceaaes.’ ” The firm states that the Australian Minister has decided to discontinue paying the bounty on wine sent to New Zealand, although Australian vlgnerons will receive the bounty on wines exported to other countries. Private advice* from the East report that prices of desiccated coconut are considerably firmer, but that there Is no change In other lines. Advice from Melbourne states that there is a good demand for prime new makes, but that sales of matured cheese are somewhat slow. It is probable that supplies would have been scarce In Victoria at present If New Zealand cheese hod not been Imported. Prime new cheese, large else, is quoted at ll|d to la Old a lb, new loaf at Is Old to la lid, and semi-matured and matured at up to Is 4d. Most of the oversea business that Is being received Is still on account of regular customers (says the- Australasian of Jnno 26). Bayers abroad are apparently not confident that the market for wheat will for long hold at current levels, and therefore are not willing to operate extensively. The Victorian MUlowners’ Association quotation for flour Is £l4 7s 6d for 20001 b, delivered Melbourne or euburbo, but for a minimum quantity of BO sacks, cash with order, the price Is £l4 2s 64 a ton. It may be added for Information of New Zealand merchants that there la a duty of <8 per ton on Imported flour, aid

that the cost of transport from Melbourne runs out at about £1 10s. The London Grocer recently stated that It was fairly safe to say that the trade in England not only believed that the proposed dairy produce control waa inimical to the best Interests of the New Zealand dairying industry, but that it was extremely distasteful to English methods of doing business. New Zealand butter was never of better quality than when it was freshly made, and to create the best impression upon consumers It should be sold as soon as possible after manufacture, even if the Irregular quantities arriving at different times of the year caused fluctuations in the market. Buyers were well aware that a large quantity of New Zealand butter was held in store, and maintained that quality was suffering In consequence. It was the general opinion of the British trade that New Zealand butter did not now enjoy the. same popularity today as it did in recent years, and the rea« sons were not far to seek.