DUNEDIN MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3886, 4 September 1928, Page 21

DUNEDIN MARKETS.

WHEAT, OATS, ETC. . Friday- Evening. There is no change in the milling wheat market. Odd lines of spring threshed wheat are how coming on the market, but it is difficult to get millers interested-, as they are carrying fairly heavy stocks. The wheat offering is mostly- of the Tuscan variety, and where sales can be effected up to 5s Bd, sacks extra, on trucks Otago country sidings, has been obtained for good quality. The demand for seed wheat continues quiet, and as most of the farmers now have their ground ready for spring sowing it can be realised that the area to be planted will be smaller than usual. The demand for fowl wheat locally is quiet, and up to 5s 9d per bushel, sacks extra, ex store, has been paid for best quality. Store stocks are being worked off. and it is expected that a clearance will be made before the space is required for w wool. In Canterbury the fowl wheat market remains firm, and good whole quality is quoted at 5s 6d. f.0.b.. sacks extra, prompt shipment. Higher prices are now being asked for later delivery. Millers’ prices for flour, etc., are as follow:— Flour: 2001 b. £l6 15s: 100’s, £l7 15s; 50's. £18: 25’s, £lB 10s. Bran, £7 per ton. Pollard. £8 10s. Oatmeal: 25’s, £23: 200's. £22. The dull period in the oat market shows no sign of improvement, and buyers are not displaying much interest. There is an anxiety on the part of sellers to quit, but the quotation for prompt delivery has not been reduced to any extent. There are sellers in some quarters at 3s IOJd. f.0.b., s i., for A's and 3s 5d for B’s. These prices are equivalent to 3s 2d. sacks extra, country sidings, for A's and 2s 9d for B’s. Fairly plentiful supplies of oats are held in the Dunedin stores. Most of these belong to northern merchants. Millers are prepared to buy any heavyweight lines, and up to 3s 7d. sacks extra, ex store, has been paid for these. The potato market is dragging, with sales becoming more difficult to •'effect. Prices locally are affected by the alteration '.n the values in Canterbury, where the position has weakened. The shipping quotation to northern ports has fallen to £5 15s per ton, f.0.b., s.i.. September delivery, and a fairly large quantity has been shipped on consignment from both Timaru and Lyttelton to Auckland. These shipments must affect the tone of the market in the North Island, and it is expected that unless there are frosts early potatoes will soon be available in the north.. In the meantime local buying is from hand to mouth, and merchants, moreover, will only take freshly picked lines. For these £5 15s to £6 per ton. sacks included, ex truck, has been obtained during the week. _ - Farmers being, busy with spring work they have not had much time to devote to chaffcutting. Consignments have, therefore, been on the light side, but there are ample supplies in the local stores to meet the poor demand. Good quality is worth £5 5s per ton, sacks extra, ex truck, but £5 10s can be obtained for extra choice quality. Medium and. poor have a weak demand, dairy farmers-now having a good supply of natural feed. The seed market remains firm, but no export business is being transacted in the meantime. Stocks of good quality are on the light side, and it is considered that these will be required for the spring trade. This has started earlier than in previous seasons, following on the fine weather.

Produce lines are quoted wholesale as follows: — Chaff, to £5 10s per ton, ex truck, for best quality; medium and poor, £4 to £4 10s. Potatoes, to £6 per ton. Eggs: Stamped. Is sd: case, Is 6d. Dairy Butter: Milled bulk, Is 3d; pats, Is 3d. The market is very firm. Bacon, Is Id per lb. Hams, Is 3d per lb; boneless. Is 4d. Japanese onions, 17s 6d to 18s. Dairy butter is in very short supply. FRUIT REPORT. Large supplies of -Australian citrus fruit were lended ex the Karetu. The quality- of the fruit was good with the exception of the mandarins, which had been forwarded to Wellington from Sydney for transhipment. The Adelaide navels and Valencias met with a keen demand from retailers. A small line of pineapples was also landed from the Karetu. and these sold well. . Supplies of Australian-grown lemons have reached the market, and prices are a little easier. Large supplies of NeW Zealand-grown arc also available. The Progress, which arrived on Wednesday, brought transhipments of Island oranges and Rarotongan bananas. .Some of the oranges were in poor condition, and these had'to be repacked. There was mot a large shipment of bananas, and they brought . very high prices, retailers being forced to secure the fruit. - No fur-, ther bananas are expected for about a fortnight.: ■; ; ; :. A shipment of Samoan bantings,, ex theMaui Pomare, is due to arrive in, .Dunedin on . September 20. j.L At ■The first of the season’s Californian grapes have reached the market. : The apple market continues in a verydull condition. . . ' ?’?’• Choice peai-s "have ft good inquiry. - -These iaTe ■coming-forward-‘from' Christ-: churtih and* Central Otago. Some of th 6 i

fruit, however, is not in the best condition, being too ripe. Heavy- supplies of cauliflowers are arriving from the Taieri and from the Peninsula, and also from Sawyers’ Bay. The market is now a little unsteady. Supplies of rhubarb are increasing. Good prices are yet being obtained. Good hearted lettuce continue to bring good prices. Poor quality is hard to sell. Parsnips _ are in good supply. Carrots are in short supply, and prices are a little easier. Savoy cabbages are now practically finished, but some nice spring varieties are making their appearance. Two lines of locally-grown hothouse tomatoes were sold during the week at Is 3d to Is 4d per lb. The prices are much lower than those obtained at this time last year. I'air-sized supplies of flowers are being sent from Auckland and AVanganui to the local marts. Current wholesale. prices are as follow : — . ... Apples: Delicious, 10s to Us per case for extra choice; choice, 7s 6d to 9s; ethers. 4s 6d to 7s; Stunners, 7s to 8s 6d; Jonathan and. Cleopatras, choice, 6s to 8s; others, 4s 6d to 5s 6d; small dessert apples, 2s to 4s per case; choice cookers, 5s to 7s; others, 3s 6d to ss. Pears: Choice dessert, 3d- to -.4d per lb; others Id to 2d.’ Californian grapes, 25s to 26s per 281 b keg. Oranges: Islands, to 24s per case repacked; Adelaide Valencias, 18s to 20s: Adelaide navels. 18s to 20s; Sevilles and Poormans, 10s to Us. Pines, 24s to 265. Sydney mandarins, 20s to 24s per case. Island tomatoes, 12s per case. Lemons: Australian, to 23s per bushel case; Californian, 53s per double case; New Zealand. 16s to 21s. Bananas: Rarotongan, green, 30s per case. Rhubarb. 9d to Is per bundle of 11b. Beetroot, 6d per dozen bunches. Swedes, Is to Is 6d per case. Cauliflowers, choice, 6s to 6s 6d per sack; other sorts, 4s to ss; poor quality. Brussels sprouts, 3d to 4d per lb. Cabbages: Choice Savoys, to 4s per sack; others, unsaleable; spring cabbage 2s 6d per dozen. Lettuce: Choice, to 5s per dozen: others Is to 2s per dozen. Leeks, 4d to 6d per bundle. Spinach, Is to Is 6d per dozen bunches.

, Saturday. Neon. lhe Kurow and the Katoa. which arrived here on Friday, brought supplies ot sugar, which relieved the market considerably. Before their arrival the stocks in wholesale hands and in a number of re taileas’ hands were entirely depleted. One ot the vessels was a week overdue. The next boat to bring sugar will be the VVingatui, which is due on the Bth inst. lhe market is still short of sago. Small supplies have arrived from Australia from time to time, and these have relieved th° position temporarily. So far as is known the boat from Singapore with direct supplies will not arrive before the end’ of the month. _ It is understood that crystallised cherries to land will cost .in the vicinity of 2s 6d per lb. The stocks held locally are in small compass and advices from Home indicate that supplies will be difficult to secure this year. The temporary heavy reduction in freights from the Atlantic coast of Canada to New Zealand is having the effect of placing lower quotations on several Canadian lines of goods. The Karetu, which arrived in Dunedin, via way ports, on Thursday, brought a large quantity of transhipments, including desiccated cocoanut and full consignments of tea from Colombo