DUNEDIN MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3996, 14 October 1930, Page 17

DUNEDIN MARKETS.

WHEAT, OATS, ETC. Friday_Evening. The wheat market remains unchanged. Tuscan is still quoted at 6s 6Jd, f.0.b., sacks extra, and millers are prepared to buy at this figure. Tuscan, however, is not plentiful, and millers consequently have a difficulty in securing supplies. The nominal quotation for Hunters is 2d per bushel above the price for Tuscan, with an additional 2d for Velvet. Ample, stocks of both Hunters and Velvet are still held. It is considered in some quarters that before the new season’s wheat is available Hunters will have to be sold at Tuscan prices in order to effect a clearance. /s. The demand for fowl wheat remains quiet. Merchants are only buying from hand-to-mouth, and prices remain firm on account of the small quantity offering North Island merchants are drawing their supplies from Canterbury, where the general quotation is 6s 2Jd, f.0.b., sacks extra, with odd lots offering bn sample at lower prices. The local price is 6s 3d per bushel, sacks extra, ex store, with higher values ruling for small lots. The forward buying of next season’s wheat has eased off, and few transactions are now going through. A fair quantity has, however, already been placed on a basis of 5s lOd, f.0.b., sacks extra, for Tuscan, 6s for Hunters, and 6s 2d for Velvet. The majority of the millers have bought "a portion of their next season’s requirements at these figures. Millers’ prices for ss> flour, etc., are as follow:—

Flour: 2001 b. £l7 ss; 100’s, £lB ss; 50’s, £lB 10s; 25’s, £l9. Bran, £6 10s per ton. Pollard, £6 15s per ton. Oatmeal: 2001 b, £24 10s; 25’s, £25 10s. The shipping market for oats has been affected for some time by Canterbury resellers, who bought earlier in the season. These speculative operators have been gradually reducing their quotations in order to make a clearance, but the ordinary holders of oats in the south are not prepared to sell at the low figures named. The weakening in values is reflected more at the Bluff than at any other port in theDominion. The position in Dunedin and northwards has not been affected to any great extent by the position in Southland, as there is only a small quantity of oats now held here and northwards. Sufficient orders have been coming to hand for shipment to the north, where quick delivery is required, to absorb all the oats offering in Dunedin. A Gartons have been sold locally at up to 3s lid, f.0.b., s.i.. and further north higher prices have been obtained. At the Bluff, however, sales of oats held by Canterbury operators have been made at as low as 3s 6d, f.0.b.. s.i. The wide intervals at which steamers sail from the Bluff plays a material part in the difference in the prices mentioned. Prompt deliveries cannot be made under the circumstances.

The demand for seed oats has been fairly steady, and before the recent break in the weather deliveries were good. The chaff market continues quiet. Odd inquiries have been received for shipment, and some sales have been made to Auckland. Further supplies of Tasmanian chaff are due to arrive in Auckland, but some merchants there have come on the local market to tide them over till these supplies come forward. Once these supplies arrive business with Dunedin will cease. Prices in Tasmania have dropped, and chaff can now be landed from there into the North Island at considerably under the prices quoted from the South Island. Odd Sales of good quality chaff are being made for local consumption at from £5 5s to £5 10s per ton, sacks extra, ex truck. Medium and poor quality is neglected, and sales are hard to make at £4 to £5 per ton, sacks extra, ex store. Several of the local merchants have now ceased handling old potatoes, as they are waiting the arrival of the new sea son’s tubers. Reports from Auckland state that their new potatoes should be in full supply towards the end of October. Some fairly heavy shipments are still being made from Canterbury to Auckland, but these have been sent forward in an endeavour to effect a clearance before the new potatoes come on the market in quantity. The local quotations are governed by the supplies from Canterbury. The current price is round about £4 5s per ton, sacks extra, ex truck, for freshly dug lines. Business in all varieties of seeds remains quiet. There has been some buying of brown top for export, but apart from this the demand is chiefly confined to retail orders. _ The broken weather has caused a cessation of deliveries to the country. Once the weather improves farmers will take advantage of the moistened soil to sow out. especially in dry areas such as Central Otago. Produce lines are quoted wholesale as follow:—

Chaff: Prime -quality, £5 5s to £5 10s per ton, ex truck; medium, £4 to £5 per ton, sacks extra, ex store.

Potatoes: Choice, £4 5s per ton. Eggs: Stamped. Is 2d; case, Is to le Id.

Dairy butter: Milled bulk. Is Id per ’b; pats, to Is. Bacon, Is 3d per lb. Hams: Ordinary, Is 3d; boneless, Is 4d per lb. Onions: Californian, 22s per bag. Honey, 5s 9d to 6s per 101 b tins; 3s to •3s fid for 51b tins; and 5Jd per lb for bulk.

The dairy* butter market is weak. FRUIT REPORT.

Fair supplies of apples are still arriving on the market. The demand is practically confined to choice quality. Poor quality is fairly plentiful, and it would have paid the growers much better if they had sent these apples to the market when they were in good condition. A few lots of pears are still coming forward from Canterbury cool stores. The Samoan bananas which were sold last Monday have ripened very well. Prices under the hammer average about 28s 6d per case.

The Maheno is expected on Tuesdaj’ next with a large shipment of oranges. She will bring the last navels for tne season and a fair quanitty of Valenc’ns Lemons are now in short supnly A small lot only is expected by the Maheno. Australian mandarins are practical'y finished for the season. Most of the lines coming forward have to be repacked.

A fresh shipment of Californian grapes has reached the market. They were in excellent condition. The wet weather has caused a slackening off of supplies of cabbages and cauliflowers.

Swedes are in good supply, and sales are hard to make.

Sound-hearted lettuce have a good demand. Supplies are now beginning to arrive from Canterbury. Asparagus is arriving from Canterbury. Prices declined a little towards the end of the week. The quality which has reached the market has so far been very good.

Rhubarb is plentiful and prices are low.

Parsnips and carrots are in short supply. Wholesale prices are as follow:—

Apples: Delicious, choice, 9s 6d to 14s; others. 4s 6d to 8s 6d; Democrats, 7s 6d to 8s 6d; Sturmers, choice to 10s, others 5s to 7s; cookers, choice to 8s 6d, others to 5s 6d. Bananas: Ripe, to 32s 6$ per case. Oranges: Australian navels, 18s 6d to 20s per case; Valencias. 13s to 18e,

Lemons: Australian. 18s to 22s per case; New Zealand, 14s to 16s. Mandarins, 12s to 16s per case. American grapes. 28s 6d to 30s per keg Passions, 18s to 22s 6d per case. Pineapples, 18s to _ 22s 6d per case. Cauliflowers: Choice, 5s to 8s 6d per sack of 18; others, Is 6d to 3s per sack. Swedes. 2s 6d per cental bag; sacks. 4s to ss.

Spring cabbages, to 4s 6d per case of 18.

Lettuce, Is 6d to 4s 6d per dozen. Potatoes, 5s to 6s per cwt. Kumeras. 2d to 2Jd per lb. Carrots, 5s per sugar bag. Leeks, 4d per bunch. Parsnips, 3s 6d per sugar bag. Asparagus, 9s to 14s per dozen bunches. Rhubarb, 2s to 3s per dozen bunches. MERCHANDISE MARKET. Saturday Morning. Small supplies of Gear ox tongues. 21b tins, came to -hand during the week. The Port Nicholson, due on October 22, is bringing supplies of cream of tartar, Symington’s soups, Morton’s capers, Sicily almonds, and packet dates. A parcel of drained and crystallised cherries, just to hand, shows an increased cost. The first parcel of new season’s Jordan almonds is due in about a fortnight. They will be transhipped ex the Mongolia at Sydney. Advice received from Ceylon points to some of the standard lines of tea advancing in price. The Golden Cloud and the Waihemo are bringing supplies of the new season’s salmon from Vancouver. Further supplies of Oxo beef tea cubes have reached the market. The Golden Cloud, due here on October 17, is bringing supplies of unbleached, seedless raisins, golden bleached raisins, and seeded (packet) raisins. She will also land Californian onions.