COMMERCIAL.

Southland Times, Issue 18933, 21 September 1920, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

OAMARU MARKETS.

OAMARU, September 18

There is continued quietude in the grain and produce market. A few lots of wiieat, tiie clearing up or the season, have been handled, ttie largest being less than 100 sacks of Dreadnought. A few more lines of larger bulk are still in the country, but these are not expected to come on the market until next montn, which brings in the hnal halfpenny rise. The position in regard to oats is distinctly weaker. While growers still hold out, there is a growing inclination on the part of large holders in town to accept the situation, and sales have been made as between merchants at the current rules, the sellers resigning themselves to a loss on their specu- • Jation purchases. j A good amount of cowgrass seed is still held by growers, but for this outlets are not to be found. A parcel changed hands during the week at 1/8, less commission, which denotes a big drop in values since the opening of the season. There is still nothing doing in potatoes or in chaff, but country holdings of these commodities are light.

Though a better tone was experienced at thus week’s market sale for sheep, there has oeen little business passing. The chief demand is for breeding ewes of a good class, out. these are not readily obtainable, for there arc few sellers, and, moreover, lambing on the low country is now becoming general. At the weekly sale a line of fourtooth ewes in lamb ran up to 42/10, which gives a fair idea of values. Privately, very few transactions in this class of sheep are reported, but a sale of mixed-sex and eighttooth ewes was made at 38/-. The most noteworthy point in regard to sheep has been an advance in the price of fat stuff. At the weekly sale fat wethers ranged from 37/- to 4.3/-, and while a few days since a [sale was made at 40/-, a line is reported to have changed hands at 50/-, and fat ewes have realised 40/-. There is some call for store wethers, and for a line of halfbred 34/- was given. Sales of lambs for forward delivery continue to be made round about 22/6, but the business is not on a grand scale.

The prevailing shortage of feed has had the effect of reducing the demand for store cattle, and the week’s business has been limited to a few modest lines at the following prices:—Three-year-old bullocks in forward condition, from £ll to £l2; two-year-old steers, £7 to £S; mixed-sex yearlings, from £2 to £2 10/-; calves, from 20/- to 25/-. A line of fat bullocks realised £2l 10/- per head.

The slow growth of grass and the exhaustion of roots have affected the market for dairy stock, and prices are easier, with only a small amount of business passing. Sales of good cows have taken place at from £l2 to £l4, though cows of extra quality have realised from £l6 to £l7, while aged cows have gone at from £6 to £B. For animals due to calve in October and November the prices have ranged from £lO to £l2 for cows, and from £8 to £lO for heifers.