PRODUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3958, 21 January 1930, Page 14

PRODUCE MARKETS.

CHRISTCHURCH. January 17. Although a little wheat is now in stook the rain of this week has delayed harvesting operations, and it will be two or three weeks before the grain is on the market in any appreciable quantity. Contrary to what some people thought would be the case, the heavy rain of Wednesday last did not greatly damage the crops. In view of the fact that millers have bought forward to a substantial extent there is a question whether there will be a demand for the new wheat when it comes on the market in the early part of the season. To-day’s nominal quotations for wheat are 5s 9d for Tuscan, 6s for Hunter’s, and 6s 3d for pearl, on trucks at country stations. There are plenty of sellers ot forward wheat, but few buyers at the moment. Fowl wheat is moving oil steadily at 6s lid to 6s 2d. f.0.b., s.i., the demand coming from the South Island as well as the North Island. So far as oats are concerned, merchants are waiting for some to reach the market. There are very few oats in store, and a lot of oats are now in stook. Reports from Marlborough are to the effect that the rain was much heavier there than in Canterbury, and that it did a lot of harm to the oat and barley crops, which are now in stook in the Alailborough province. The barley and linseeds crops in Canterbury are looking fairly well, but it will be some time yet before either will be on the market. Oats, which are intended for chaff, promise to give a better financial return than oats, especially as it will be difficult to get gorid bright chaff from the Alarlborough district this season. Chaff is to-day quoted at £5 10s to £5 12s 6d a ton, on trucks, while new is worth £4 to £4 5s on the same basis. There is very little doing in small seeds. Some sales of Italian ryegrass were made this week at 4s 6d per bushel for new season’s seed. Western Wolths seed is the same value. Red clover nominally is worth 4d to 5d per pound. AVhite clover is worth round about lOd. Cocksfoot is quoted at 13Jd a pound for machinedressed. farmers’ undressed lines being worth 8d to 9d for heavy weight, 13-141 b Akaroa seed. Plains cocksfoot is quoted at Id to ljd less. The North Island has plentj r of potatoes to supply the demand there until the end of February, and it will be March before shipments to the North Island are made from Lyttelton. iThe quotations for April, Alay, June delivery are £4 17s 6d for whites, and 2s 6d more for Dakatas; to July, August, and September the quotation is £5 12s 6d to £5 15s.