OTAGO PRODUCE MARKETS

Southland Times, Issue 23320, 2 October 1937, Page 4

OTAGO PRODUCE MARKETS

Little Interest In Oats STEADY INQUIRY FOR SEEDS (United Press Association) DUNEDIN, October 1. Some lines of wheat have been reaching the market following on the spring threshing but the quality is mostly of fowl food grade. Millers are prepared to take lines suitable for milling but merchants are not inclined to operate to any extent in fowl wheat quality because of the high prices asked by farmers. The oat market continues depressed with little interest being displayed by either millers or shippers. _ Stocks are available at all main ports in the South Island but North Island merchants are not inclined to operate. A grade Gartons are nominally worth 3/8 a bushel, f.0.b., F.i. and B’s 3/5 f.0.b., s.i. while undergrade are at irregular figures. The above prices are equivalent to 2/9 on trucks, country sidings, sacks extra for A Gartons and 2/6 for B’s. Tire stocks of chaff are more than sufficient to meet the demand and prices are inclined to ease. POTATO MARKET LIFELESS The potato market is lifeless. Reports from Pukekohe go to show that the season there will be an early one and that by the end of this month new potatoes will be available. In the meantime the supplies of old tubers are quite sufficient to keep the local market going. Most of the consignments are coming from South Canterbury where potatoes have been held in store and these, in many cases, have now to be picked over. The seed markets remain steady. Inquiries have been received from Australia during the week for ryegrass but stocks of good germinating quality are very low. There is little Government certified ryegrass available and few merchants are now in a position to quote. The firming recorded last week in Chewing’s fescue has been maintained but crested dogstail has shown an inclination to ease. Brown top, which has been neglected for some time, has received more attention during the past few days. Cocksfoot, cowgrass and white clover are meeting with the usual demand for this period of the year and as stocks of these three seeds are on the light side prices are likely to remain steady. FRUIT REPORT A shipment of Samoan bananas arrived on the local market on Tuesday last. The fruit was landed at Lyttelton ex the Maui Pomare and was railed to Dunedin. The supply was unequal to the demand and all stocks of greens were immediately taken up. These will have ripened up early next week. The Matua is due at Wellington about October 6 and it is expected that she will have a full shipment of Samoan and Fijian bananas. The portion of the shipment for the local market should arrive towards the end of the week. A line of Island tomatoes is also on board the Matua. Sales of Australian oranges have been very satisfactory. A considerable quantity of the last shipment had to be repacked because of its wasty condition. No further shipments of navels are expected and the next shipment from Australia, due on Tuesday, October 12, will consist solely of Valencias. Californian grapes have been selling at unpayable prices to the importer. A further shipment will arrive in Auckland ex the Monterey on Monday next. Lemons, both New Zealand and Californian grown, are in good supply. Heavy quantities of apples are still reaching the market from all districts. Most lines are being sold at low prices immediately on arrival because of the quality. Dessert and cookers have a sound demand.

THE CANTERBURY MARKETS

INCREASE IN PRICE OF POTATOES (United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, October 1. The only interesting development in an exceedingly dull week of trading in the grain and produce markets has been the increase in the price of potatoes which are now worth £5 10/- a ton, on trucks. The rise has been due mainly to the increased number of inquiries which have been received from the North Island and though little actual business has been done this has put new heart into the market. There is also an impression that stocks of good, quality table potatoes are shorter than is imagined. No great amount of business has been done but there have been buyers for fanners’ stocks for the first time for a fortnight. Chaff, which recently had an excellent inquiry, is very dull though the price has not altered. A good demand exists for fowl wheat and undergrade lines are selling very well. Wheat of any sort is very scarce. The small seeds trade remains very restrained with no sign yet of a healthy wholesale trade. The export inquiry has been most disappointing and it appears that there will be no real strength in this section until this develops. WYNDHAM STOCK SALE Henderson and Co., Ltd., report as follows on the Wyndham stock sale held on Thursday“ There was a fair yarding of sheep and a large yarding of cattle forward. The fat sheep section consisted of a few pens of prime heavy butchers’ wethers, the balance being fair quality light wethers. There was a good demand for these and prices all over realized fully last sale’s rates. In the store sheep section there were medium quality ewe hoggets with one or two pens of small wether hoggets. There was a good demand for all classes of store sheep and the yarding was quitted at auction at right up to late rates. Good breeding ewes also sold well at late market rates. There was a large yarding of fat cattle, a fair number being good quality steers; also a good number of prime heavy cows. Competition was keen and practically the whole of this section was sold at about 20/- ahead of last sale. Store cows were also in good demand and realized prices slightly in advance of late rates. A large number of dairy cows was yarded. Good young sorts at profit were readily sold at late rates. Late calvers were hard to sell with the result that a good number of these were passed.

Sales were.—47 s.m. ewes at 41/6, 19 at 35/3; fat cows at £lO 17/6, £lO 12/6, £lO 10/-, £9, £8 15/-, £8 2/6 (2), £7 15/-, £7 7/6 (2), £6 12/6, £6 7/6, £5 15/-, £5, store cows at £4 17/6 (2), £4 12/6, £4, £3 12/6, 6 heifers at £4 5/-, dairy heifers at £6 (4), £5 10/- (2), dairy cows at £6, £5 15/-. £5 5/-, £5 (2), £4 10/-, £4 7/6, £4 5/-; 5 yearlings at £3 G/-.