THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3774, 13 July 1926, Page 21

THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Friday evening. A cablegram from Australia announces an advance there in the price of flour. This increase will have a tendency to harden wheat prices in New Zealand as ? rowers will consider that the competition rom Australian flour can now be more easily met by New Zealand millers, and that they may therefore be able to get a penny or two more per bushel for their wheat. Whether millers will respond is very doubtful, as they are not at all keen to buy even at the present quotations. It is suggested that tne increase of 15s per ton in the price of Australian flour lias been brought about by the reports of the damage done to crops by floods in Europe, and of drought conditions in certain parts of America. There is no alteration in the fowl wheat market. North Island merchants continue to draw supplies from Australia. The chief source of supply is from Adelaide, where f.a.q. milling is available at 6s 4d f.0.b., s.i. This '’an be landed in the North Island below southern parity. The ruling quotation in the south for good whole fowl wheat is 7s f.0.b., sacks extra A good deal of under-grade wheat is offering. Merchants hold a fair quantity of this class of wheat.- Any under-grade lots coming to hand are realising about 6s 3d to 6s 6d per bushel, sacks extra. Millers’ prices for flour remain unchanged as follows2oolb, £lB 10s; 100’s, £l9 10s; 50’s. £2O 2s 6d; 25’s, £2C 10s. Bran, £8 10s per ton. Pollard, £9 10s. Oatmeal, 25’s, £25; 200’s, £24. ' The oat market is stil] stagnant with practically no business passing. Offerings from growers are light, but stocks in stores are fairly plentiful. A grade have been offered during the week at 4s 2d f.0.b., s.i., and B’s down to 3s lid, without finding . buyers. There does - not seem much anxiety on the part of merchants to sell, as it is considered that the market cannot come back any further Offerings of unclerfrade are fairly plentiful, lut no market as been found for these. The Blenheim market is firm, merchants there asking from £8 5s to £8 10s per ton f.0.b., s.i., for prompt shipment. Very little business, however, has been done at this figure, as Auckland, merchants have recently imported two fairly substantial cargoes from Adelaide. The quotation for chaff for shipping to the North Island from here is £7 15s f.ob., s.i. This price comEares favourably with that ruling at Bleneim, taking into consideration the cost of the extra freight, but no business has resulted so far. The local market is also quiet, with consignments - arriving fairly freely. The value for best quality chaff is round about £O, sacks extra, ex truck. Medium and poor quality is slow of sale, and stocks of these are accumulating in the stores. The potato market is uncertain. Fairly heavy consignments are still going to Australia, but no buying orders are being received in the meantime from Sydney merchants. The prices realised for these consignments are equivalent to about £6 per ton, f.0.b., s.i. The quantity held in stores is fairly substantial, and as some of the tubers are showing signs of growth earlier than usual there is anxiety on the part of holders to realise. This has caused an easing in the market. Best quality is worth £G per ton, sacks included, ex truck. Reports from Auckland go to show that offerings are plentiful, the price asked for July shipment being £6 10s per ton, Current wholesale prices for produce lines are as follow: — Chaff. £6. Potatoes, £G. Dairy Butter.—Best milled milk, Is 3d to Is 4d per lb, according to quality; separator pats, Is 3d. Eggs.—Stamped, Is 9d; case, Is Bd. Bacon.—Roll, Is 3d per lb. Hams, Is 3d per lb; boneless, Is 4d. Canterbury onions, 18s per cwt. FRUIT REPORT. Business has been quiet in the fruit marts, but it brightened up towards the end of the week with the arrival of the Holmdale and the Kurow with transhipments of oranges and tomatoes from the Island and of navels and mandarins from Australia. The tomatoes brought 15s to 10s per case. Choice dessert apples have a little inquiry, but other sorts are neglected. Pears have a moderate sale only. The market is bare of bananas. The next supplies are due in Auckland from Fiji about July 12. These may reach Dunedin about a week later. The wholesale market is bare of supplies of lemons. Current wholesale prices are as follow: Bananas.—Ripe, 30s to 355. Apples.—Delicious, choice, 7s 6d to 8s; others, & to 6s; Cleopatras, 7s to 8s; Sturmers, 7s Gd to 8s 6d; cookers, 4s Gd to 6s. Oranges.—Adelaide, 22s Gd per case; navels. 20s to 255; Tahiti, repacked, 22s 6d. Australian grapes, 15s to 20s. Lemons. —Auckland, 22s 6d to 255; Sydney, 30s. Sydney mandarins, 24s to 255. New Zealand passions. 22s Od per box. Pears. —Dessert, prime, 2sd to 3d per lb. Rhubarb, 4d to 5d per lb. Cabbageß.—Choice, 2s to 4s per sack of two dozen. Cauliflowers, 7s to 9s per sack, containing a dozen (choice only); others, 4s to 7s. , White turnips, Is per dozen bunches. Parsnips, 6s Od 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, lsd per lb.