CITY MARKETS

Southland Times, Issue 22949, 23 July 1936, Page 3

CITY MARKETS

Inquiry for Oats Continues FRESH SHIPMENT OF ORANGES Oats.—This market continues quite steady. Merchants’ stocks are light and offerings from farmers have practically eased off. It is unlikely that any great quantity of oats will come in from farmers from now on. Millers are still operating and there are other inquiries for oats to be railed over line in addition to a steady shipping demand. Values to farmers are about 2/6 a bushel for A grade and 2/3 for B grade, o.t.c.s. Good Duns are in demand at about 2/9 a bushel, o.t.c.s. Wheat.—Offerings from farmers have almost ceased, but lines suitable for milling are saleable at the prices fixed by the Wheat Committee, f.0.b., Bluff, as follows:—4/8 for Tuscan and Yeoman. 4/10 for Hunter’s and Montana King, and 5/- for Velvet. Good fowl wheat is in short supply and farmers who have any for sale can obtain close up to the equivalent of milling wheat. Chaff.—ln the absence of a shipping demand, very little business is being done and sales are confined to the filling of the limited local demand. Chaff has been offering- more freely from farmers during the last week or two and stocks held are ample to cope with immediate requirements. The value to farmers for good, bright quality chaff is about £3 10/- a ton, o.t.c.s. Ryegrass.—Some wholesale sales have been made recently, but at a low level of prices. There has been no keen interest shown in Southland seed for shipping. Stocks held by merchants are not heavy, but probably some farmers are still holding back their supplies because of the low values ruling. In the absence of a demand, there is still no inducement for merchants to increase prices to farmers, which range up to 1/6 a bushel for lines off the mill, o.t.c.s. Other Seeds.—The tone of the crested dogstail market has been firmer in the last few weeks. The value to farmers for machine-dressed seed of export quality is about 6d a pound, and for machine-dressed stripped lines of good quality about sd. Because of the dullness of the export demand, the market for browntop is quiet. The value to farmers for machine-dressed certified seed is about 1/3 a pound, and for machine-dressed uncertified lines about 1/2 a pound, for export quality seed in both cases. This season’s supply of Chewings Fescue has all passed into merchants’ hands and the market is inclined (o be quiet because of the dullness in the export demand. Quite a lot of Southland-grown white clover has come on to the market this season and many of the samples have been of really good quality. Prices to farmers for machine-dressed seed range up to 1/- a pound. Potatoes.—There is a marked lack of interest in the potato market. Although inquiries have come from the North Island, buyers have been expecting to buy at prices which offer little inducement to local growers, most of whom are delaying selling in the hope of an improvement. It is reported that purchases can be made in the northern South Island provinces at £3 5/- a ton. 0.t.c.5.. and probably 'his is about the value which local growers can expect for shipping at present. Fruit Business Quiet. Business in the fruit marts has been very quiet during the past week. Fair supplies of apples are still coming in, but sales have fallen off in the meantime and second grade apples, in particular, have been cleared at very low prices. Choice quality lines are maintaining values. Pears are scarce and the demand for these also has slackened. The principal lines selling are oranges and bananas and the shipment of oranges that arrived yesterday found quite a number of retailers almost completely sold out of stocks. The shipment is fully equal to the last so far as condition and quality are concerned, although there is bound to be some dissatisfaction about sizes, the bulk of this consignment being extra large sizes. Lemons are scarce in the meantime, the market being bare of Californian lemons, further consignments of which will have to bring about 67/6. Only limited quantities of New Zealand lemons are now available. These are realizing from 11/- to 13/-, which is about 5/_ below the price ruling in northern markets. It is extremely unlikely that growers will continue to ship south to a lower market. Fair supplies of vegetables are arriving. values altogether being slightly better than those of last week. Marmalade oranges are in short supply, and values for odd arrivals remain firm. Prices ruling are as follows:— Apples.—Choice Delicious, 7/- to 8/a case: choice Jonathans, 7/- to 7/6; Sturmers, 7/- to 8/6 for best; Grannie Smith, 7/6; inferior dessert varieties, from 4/- to 5/-; best cookers, 5/6 to 6/6: small and inferior, 4/- to 4/6. Ripe bananas, choice, 19/- to 24/- a case. Marmalade oranges, 11/- to 13/— a case. Celery, choice, 8/- to 11/- a dozen. Cabbages, 4/- to 5/- a sack. Cauliflower, 4/- to 6/- a sack. Carrots, 7/- a cwt. Parsnips, Id to 11 d a lb. Pumpkins, Id a lb. CURRENT PRICES. Wholesale. Eggs: Town, 1/4 to 1/5. Bacon: 1/OJ. Bran: 100’s. £6 a ton; 15Ts. £5 15/a ton. Butter: First grade, 1/31; second grade, 1/24; whey, 1/11; separator, lid to 1/-. Oatmeal: 25’s. £2O a ton; 200 s, £l9 10/- a ton. Pollard: 100’s £6 10/- a ton; 150’s £6 5/- a ton. Flour 200 s, £l3 12/- a ton; 100’s, £l4 12/6 a ton; 50’s, £l4 17/6 a ton; 25’s. £l5 7/6 a 'on. Retail Eggs: 1/7 to 1/8. Bacon: 1/2 and 1/3. Butter: 1/31 to»l/51; separator, 1/2. Bran: 7/6 a 1001 b. Flour: 25’s 4/2, 50’s 7/9, 100’s 15/200’s 28/6. Oatmeal: 25’s 6/—; 50’s 11/9. Pollard: 8/- a 1001 b. Omens: 81b a I/-. Potatoes: 121bs a 1/-. The Invercargill branch of the Poultry Federation quotes eggs at 1/6 a dozen wholesale. DAIRY PRODUCE LONDON MARKETS. Mr G. Blaxall has received the following cable, dated July 21, from Lovell and Christmas, Ltd., London:— Butter.—llB/-; market quiet. Cheese.—White 62/6; coloured 62/-; market quiet.