THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRO. DUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Volume 1851, Issue 3809, 15 March 1927, Page 23

THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRO. DUCE MARKETS.

Friday Evening. So far as wheat is concerned millers are still disinclined to operate, while on the other band farmers are not disposed to accept the lower rates. The figure generally being offered in Canterbury is roundabout 5s Id on trucks, for Tuscan, and although odd sales have been recorded on this. basis 5s 3d would have to bo paid to induce even a fair proportion of the growers to do business. Threshing is now general in most of the early districts of Otago, and even on the Taieri Plain, which is not regarded as the earliest of the cereal-growing districts, the mills are now busy. A good deal of the wheat crop wat laid by the wet weather which prevailed early in the year, so that merchants are expecting a fair amount of damaged wheat to come on the market during the next few weeks. JTJie grain will be of the shrivelled variety, and as it will be unfit for milling poultry-keepers should have an opportunty of securing wheat at a price a good deal below what they have had to pay for some time past. At present the fowl wheat market is being kept supplied with milling wheat from Canterbury, but very little business is being done, buyers preferring to hold off till more of the cereal becomes available, by which • time they are hopng to secure supplies at a rate somewhat below that at present ruling. Millers’ prices are as follows:— Flour.—2oolb, £l6 15s; 100’s, £l7 10s: SO’s, £l7 15s; 25’s, £lB ss. Bran. —£16 10s per ton. Pollard.—£B 10s.

Oatmeal.—2s’s £l9; 200’s. £lB. The oats market is still very dull, and most of the business at present is being done with Lyttelton, where as low as 2s f.o.b., s.i. has been accepted for B grade Garions. Ihe equivalent price to local growers would not be more than 2s per bushel, on trucks, country stations, sacks extra. A grades are nominally quoted at 2d per bushel over this figure. The demand at present is not large, while local sales are practically nil. Consignments of chaff are light, lut on rhe other hand the demand is small, and there is plenty available for requirements. Only the best quality is inquired for. Good brigst heavy chaff is worth £4 5s per ton, ex truck, Dunedin, sacks extra. With regard to potatoes, the price for these remains round about £4 per ton, ex truck Dunedin, bags in—that is for good quality tubers. Unless the embargo on potatoes to Australia is lifted during the season there is little prospect of high values ruling. Blight has made its appearance in some of the local crops, and also in South Canterbury; but only in isolated cases there. Up to the present North Canterbury is reported to be free from blight. - Prices for ryegrass are on a much lower level this year than has been the case*for some seasons past. This is owing to a fairly heavy carry-over from last year, and also the prospect of a smaller retail demand, which is due largely to the prevalence of topdressing. Produce lines are quoted wholesale as follows:— Chaff, £4 2s 6d to £4 7s 6d per ton for best quality. Potatoes: Ton lot= £4 for best quality. Eggs: Stamped. 2s 3d; case, 2s Id to 2s 2d. Dairy butter: Milled bulk, Is, according to quality; pats, lid to Is. Bacon. Is 2d per lb. Ham, Is 2d per lb; boneless Is 3d. Canterbury onions, 6s to 7s per cwt, according to quality. FRUIT REPORT. Tiie business done in fruit during the week has been fairly brisk. Supplies of outside grown tomatoes from Christchurch have increased during the past eight days." Good dessert pears have better demand. Peaches and .nectarines are in fair request, but plums are slow of sale, and prices are consequently low. z Bananas, navel oranges, and lemons are scarce, but supplies are coming forward next week. Appjes have a fair inquire. VEGETABLES. There is a nominal inquiry for vegetables, and anything not choice is difficult to quit. Current wholesale prices are as follows:— Apples.—Gravenstein, choice 10s to 12s per case; Worcester Permains, 7s 6d to 8s 6d per case; Cox’s Orange Pippins, 10s to 12s per case; cookers, 5s 6d to 6s 6d per case. . Californian navels are due next week. Lemons. —Californian %re due next week. Bananas are due next week. Raspberries, 7s 6d to 9s per bucket. Blackberries, 8s 6d to 10s per bucket. Dessert plums, choice 2d to 3d: others, to 2d; cookers, lid. Nectarines, 6s to 7s per half case.

Christchurch tomatoes, first. 3d to 4d per lb; seconds, 2d to 3d; locals, 6d to 8d per lb; Central, 3d to 5d per lb. Pears. —Bon Chretien, 4s 6d to 6s per half case; cooking, 3s 6d to 4s. Cucumbers.—Hothouse. 3s to 4s 6d per dozen; outside grown, 7s 6d per banana case.

Greengages, 5d to 6d per lb. Grapes. Is 3d to Is 4d per lb. Peaches. 6s to 7s per half-oase; crates, 4d to 6d per lb. Cauliflowers, 8s to 10s per sack only); others, 3s to 4s. Green peas, 2d to 3d. Swede turnips, 3s per cwt, ’** Potatoes, 4s per cwt. Cabbage.—Choice, 3s 6d to 4s 6d per sack' of two dozen; others, Is to 3s. Spring onions up to 4d per bundle. Lettuce.—Choice to 2s per dozen; others unsaleable. Broad beans, Id to lid per lb. French beans. 4d to 4id; runner beans, 2d to 3d per lb. Vegetable marrows, large cases, to ss; small cases to 3s. Carrots, 2s 6d to 3s per sugar bag. Parsnips, 9d to Is per dozen bunches. Celery, 6d to -9d per bunch. Spinach. 9d to Is per dozen bunches. MERCHANDISE MARKET. The supplies of carton dates in merchants’ hands are short at present. A small consignment of Zig-zag cigarette papers came to hand by the Hororata from London. This vessel also brought other lines, amongst which are Lea and Perrin’s sauce, large and small bottles, 2oz Bovril, Turban drum figs, and Peck’s pastes. Cabled advice lias been received that the prices of cream of tartar and tartaric acid are still hardening, and in one case the advice is that there has been a sharp advance in price. The price of Safonia has also advanced slightly. The Wingatui discharged a cargo of sugar at Dunedin during the week, and the Waipiata has arrived with further consignments. The Kurow is also expected shortly with a cargo of sugar. Amongst the goods landed last we'ek was the first shipment of new season’s canned apricots, and these are now on the market. The Northumberland’s cargo is still coming to hand, some of it being in fair condition. The vessels bringing merchandise supplies from abroad are the Karetu from Sydney and the Moeraki from Melbourne. These vessels will also bring goods ex Eastern steamers. Owing to strike troubles in Colombo during the last week of February, no sale of tea was held during that week, but two auctions were held during the week following. At each sale two million pounds was placed under offer, the first showing a falling off in quality generally, and, although the market was very irregular. the demand was considered to be good. At the second there was a slight improvement, and there was a better selection offered. The result of the sale showed that there had been a good demand, with all grades firm and advancing. Commons and cleaned commons advanced one farthing per pound in price, Broken Orange Pekoes one half-penny, plain Broken Orange Pekoe’s one farthing. First Classic Brokens one penny, and finest sorts one half-penny per pound.