OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

Otago Witness, Issue 3774, 13 July 1926, Page 20

OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

(From: Our Own Correspondent.) MORE HEAVY FROSTS. The wet, stormy conditions of last week gave place to frosty weather again, and the week brought the record of the winter. One morning this w’eek 14.9 degrees were registered hi Christchurch with even more in exposed parts of the plains. For the first time this winter the Addington Saleyards on ‘Wednesday bore a winter appearance so far as the yardings were concerned. The quantity of stock that has passed through the yards this winter has been phenomenal, and there has been little diminution up to this week. On this occasion the fall-ing-off was most marked in the store sheep, but with the exception of fat sheep, in all principal departments the yardings were much smaller than has been the average. With the exception of a line of Nelson ewes and one pen of North Island ewes which had been down some time, there were only Canterbury store sheep penned. What were forward were of very ordinary quality, but the sale was a very ready one, with a good number of purchasers. One pen of Nelson ewes made close on 335, but they were of a good class and had been brought down carefully. The sheep had been driven down through the Murchison country and trucked from the railhead at Inangahua Junction. This meant a decided saving in time, for the sheep were trucked on Tuesday and were, in the Addington yards in good time for the sale on Wednesday. GOOD FIGURES FOR EWE HOGGETS. Prices for hoggets have been consistently good of late, and one of the best realisations was the sale of a three-truck lot of Corriedale ewe hoggets on account of Mr G. D. Greenwood (Teviotdale). They were obviously the culls of the flock, and had little to recommend them beyond the fact that they were from a well-known Corriedale flock. The hoggets brought 30s. Several lines of strongerwoolled ewe hoggets made figures round 26s to 275. Good lots of wether hoggets were bought freely at prices up round 22s fo 23s for the best. Wethers were not at all plentiful in the store section of the sale, and what wehe offering were of a very poor class. When the weather turns it is only to be expected that the usual demand for this class of sheep will be brighter, though it is difficult to see unless buyers commence to speculate upon the price of wool being better than it was in the season gone by. Vendors of beef received more cheering account sales than they have had for some time as the result of the sale this week. Values showed some improvement, due to the shorter supply, and good sales were made for the prime heavy cattle, some of the better class lines making 42s 6d. A pen of four particularly well-finished steers sold on account of Mr J. H. L. Hiatt (Cheviot) made the good figure of £23 2s fld, and there were many sales at figures better than £2O.

All good-class beef met with a ready market. Supplies from the North Island were very small. Both mutton and lamb sold well again, and as the closing of the freezing works has been delayed there were export buyers still in the market. AUSTRALIA BUYS POTATOES. The winter of discontent of the potato market has not yet been made glorious summer, but there are distinct signs of a return to happier things. For Australia has ceased its dallying, has increased its offers, and on Friday purchased several hundred tons of potatoes at £8 5s a ton. In Auckland in the past week rates have firmed by £1 a ton. Shipments to tho northern port have been light, the strengthening of the market being a consequence of reduced stocks. But it hag not yet begun to buy in the volume one might expect. It is masking its cards, but seemingly it will not be able to maintain its attitude of a poker player indefinitely. If it does begin to buy eagerly oversellers for July will be in parlous plight. Already they must be able to feel the sands moving beneath their feet. The rock of their salvation, or the reef of their disaster, may be Auckland. One must not forget the tide in their affairs that can be exercised by growers. Just whether growers (now giving the impression of aloofness) buy or sell easily is a factor of the first importance. if a squeeze does come (and events seem shaping .that way) oversellers’ troubles will be widespread, for a tremendous amount of covering has to ba done this month. One pointer is that purchasing was done from growers this morning at £6 5s a ton on trucks, for August. Australia has proved a generous customer. May and June shipments to Sydney comprised 78,000 sacks, and it can be expected that the back-end months would be those of a heavier demand —indeed, a Sydney report states that the available crop in New South Wales totals 70,000 sacks, and that the bulk is inferior. From now on it will depend entirely on Tasmania and New Zealand. The Victorian and Ballarat crops were only sufficient for their own and South Australian requirements. MELBOURNE IS ALARMED. On top of this is a Melbourne agitation against New Zealand potatoes on the ground that they are introducing the spores of powdery scab into the Commonwealth. The outcry has as a basis a rejected consignment of 274 sacks at Melbourne, the consignment being found to be suffering from this disease, notwithstanding the scrutiny given in New Zealand. In the first place it is hard to imagine why the potatoes ever were sent to Melbourne, a producing centre. In the next Melbourne is intensely interested in the Sydney trade, which for the time being New Zealand is enjoying. It is another case of the cry of bad apples from a rival vendor. Over 70,000 sacks have been admitted from New Zealand to Sydney and found to be free of disease, and yet Melbourne, in its solitary instance, discovers powdery scab. In the agitation it is raising against the importaTion of New Zealand potatoes into the Commonwealth it must have its tongue in its cheek. It knows that powdery scab, which seldom penetrates past the skin, is one of the least damaging of many potato diseases. Doubtless Sydney interests will have a say if the Commonwealth Government shows any disposition to hearken to Melbourne. Prompt potatoes have been sold in Christchurch at £6 10s to £6 15s a ton (f.0.b.), and for July the price is about £6 17s 6d, although there has been at least one sale at £7. Australia is offering £8 5s for August-September. IMPORTATIONS SPOIL MARKET. While the New Zealand oats grower has supplies yet unmarketed on his farm, Chilian and Canadian oats are geing into consumption in the North Island. It is an unfortunate position. The oats industry has languished for years. Its trade in the ordinary course is diminishing because of competition by motor traffic, and the tariff protection it gets is inadequate. New Zealand has become a dumping ground for overseas supplies. On the prompt market A’s are quoted at 4s Id a bushel, f.0.b., ?.i., and B’s at 3s lid. But sellers probably would take less. The quotations forward are nominal only, for there is no business. They are 4s 3d for A’s and 4s for B’s.

CANTERBURY CRAIN AND PRO DUCE MARKET.

CHRISTCHURCH, July 9. The potato market, which was showing signs of weakening in the mid-week, firmed yesterday and to-day, due to the renewal of Sydney and Auckland inquiry. Apparently, therefore, the talk of powdery scab by Victorian potato interests is not given much credence in Sydney. This morning business for August-September was done at £8 5s for export, and for coastal at £7 10s, whilst for “prompt” coastal trade £7, which was hanging fire during the mid-week, was paid today. Sydney advices show that the fcaretu's big consignment of 23,000 sacks three weeks ago struck a congested market and caused a drop in tho notice of Tasmanian Brownells of 409 a ton. The Karetu’s distribution was held up for a week and could scarcely have been completed when the Waihora arrived from Lyttelton with her complement of 16,000 sacks last Tuesday. The Katoke is due to sail next Thursday for Sydney, and her complement is expected to total 20,000 sacks, 7000 trom Timaru and 13,000 from Lyttelton. The origiual bookings were heavier than this, but space was cut down. There is no rush of business at the Sydney August-Sep-tember offers, as there is no ceitainty as to the farmers’ ideas of the values for export tubers until the time comes along. At present they are showing no disposition to accept less than £0 for August, and, once the potatoes are in pit this figure will no doubt advance substantially. Auckland came on the market during the past couple of days. Tho prompt f.0.b., s.i. price ie £7 per ton, at which figure business has been dono. Oats, for the time being, are very dull and weakening. B Cartons have been sold at 3s Old to 3s lOd, f.0.b., s.i., and A's at 4s. Danish cocksfoot is depressing the market for local seed, as the former can be landed at 7d a lb. It is rather remarkable that with plenty of Danish cocksfoot available at 6d a lb in England, Akaroa cocksfoot is h ein # bought by seedsmen in the Old country at la 2d » lb. There is cocksfoot and cocksfoot, which is apparently not so well realised by tho North Island users of Danish as it is by the English trade.

CowgrtM is quoted at 7d to Bd, white clover at 9a to lOd, perennial ryegraae at 9e fid and Italian at 2e 3d to 9a fid, all on trucks. A little business in perennial has taken place at 5s 3d, f.0.b.,5.i., but all these markets are lifeless Onions an about done, and £l3, on trucks is available for any decently conditioned lines.