THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3804, 8 February 1927, Page 21

THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Friday evening. Now that millers have purchased sufficient wheat for immediate requirements there seems to be a lull in the market. Early in the week Tuscans were sold in Canterbury at 6s on trucks, but to-day they are offering at £5 10s. Threshing is now becoming general in Canterbury and the quality of the wheat is exceptionally good. In this .district no crops have yet been cut but a start will be made on the Taieri next week. This, however, is only with autumn sown crops, the spring sown being much later. Yields are not expected to be as good owing to a fair proportion of the crops having been under water early in the season. Miller’s prices for flour are a^follows: — 2001 b, £l7 15s; 100’s, £lB 10s; 50’s, £lB 15s; 25’s, £l9 ss. Bran, £7 10s per ton. Pollard. £lO 10s. Oatmeal—2s’s "21 ; 200’s. £20., Fowl Wheat. —This market has been supplied with a shipment from Australia and some of the earliest threshed wheat in from Canterbury has also been sold for this purpose. The present value is round about 7s a bushel, sacks extra. Oats. —There is nothing fresh to report in this line. Business has been very quiet. A. Gartons are on offer at 3s 2d and B grade at 2s lid, f.0.b., s.i.. without attracting much attention. The general tendency for buyers is to wait off until the new season’s oats are available. Some of these have been sold in the Canterbury district at 2s 6d for A Gartons. This is the preesnt value for any small lots offering around here, with B grade 2s 3d, eacks extra, on trucks. Chaff. —Consignments are increasing and sales are difficult to effect. Feeders are holding fairly heavy stocks, and it is difficult to find an outlet for farmers’ lines coming in for sale. To-day’s value for thg, best quality is £5 a ton, sacks extra, with indications pointing to lower prices in the near future. Potatoes.—The recent announcement of the Australian embargo on new potatoes has considerably weakened the forward position. Lines are now on offer for f.a.q. quality at £4, f.0.b., s.i., April, May and June shipment. Produce lines are quoted wholesale as follows:—

Chaff. £5 per ton for best quality. Dairy butter, milled bulk. lOd, according o quality; pats, 8d to 9d. Eggs, stamped. Is 8d; case. Is 7d. Bacon. Is 2d per lb. Ham, Is 2d per lb; boneless, Is 3d. Canterbury onions, Ils per cwt. FRUIT REPORT.

A busy week has been experienced in the fruit market. Fair supplies of stone fruit are now coming forward, but prices are high. Gravenstein apples and Bon Crechian pears are arriving from Nelson, and realise good prices. Supplies of tomatoes from Christchurch are it creasing, and also outside grown from Napier and Nelson. Prices, however, remain firm, and no drop is expected for at least a fortnight, when the Christchurch outside grown will be coming forward. Supplies of apricots, have eased off, and prices have firmed. Plums are in good supply, and prices are moderate. Oranges and bananas are scarce, and no further supplies are due for a few weeks. Raspberries are in full supply, and prices are easy. The vegetable market is very'quiet, and a poor inquiry exists for most varieties. French beans and vegetable marrowshave a good inquiry. Supplies of potatoes have eased off, and prices have firmed a little. Current wholesale prices are as follows:— Apples.—Gravenstein, 12s to 14s per case; Beauty of Bath, 4d to 6d per lb • cookers, 8s 6d to. 10s per case. Californian navels 40s per double case. Lemons. —Californian, 30s to 35s per double case. Bananas, ripe, 30s to 35s per case. Raspberries, 7s to 8s per bucket. Loganberries, 7s 6d to Bs. Plums, 2jd to 3|d per lb. Nectarines, 6s to 8s per half case. Christchurch tomatoes. Is to Is 3d; seconds. lOd to Is; local hothouse. Is Id to Is 3d. Cucumbers, 7s to 10s per dozen. Strawberries, 101>d to Is per pottle for small; extra choice, to Is 6d. Pears, 6s to 7s per half case. Apricots: Crates 6d to 7d; cases 4d to 6d per lb. Peaches, 6s to 7s per half case; crates, 4d to 6d per lb. •’ Cauliflowers, 6s to 8s per sack (choice only); others, 3s to 4s. Green peas, lid to 2d. Swede turnips, 6d to Is per dozen bunches. White turnips, 6d to Is per dozen bunches. Swede turnips, 2s 6d per dump case.

Potatoes.—New Peninsula, 3s 6d to 4s per case of 501 b.

Cabbage.—Choice, 4s to 5s per sack of two dozen; others, Is to 3s. Spring onions, up to 4d per bundle. Lettuce.—Choice to 4s per dozen. Parsnips and carrots, new season’s, Is to Is 6d per dozen bunches. Broad beans, Id to l«d per lb. French beans. 4d to 5d per lb.