OTAGO PRODUCE MARKETS

Southland Times, Issue 23438, 19 February 1938, Page 4

OTAGO PRODUCE MARKETS

Improved Quality Of

Wheat

LIMITED DEMAND FOR GARTON OATS

(United Press Association) . DUNEDIN, February 18.

The spell of dry weather in the Otago district is enabling farmers to push on with harvesting. Samples of wheat grown in the coastal areas are appearing on the market and the quality is better than that of the wheat for some seasons past. Central Otago wheat is also coming in and millers are likewise readily accepting this wheat. The quantity that will be available in the Otago district this season will not be up to the quantity of previous years. The fowl wheat market is unchanged, Some damaged wheat from last season’s harvest is still on offer and this is sufficient to keep the trade supplied. Wheat of this quality is worth from 5/3 to 5/6 a bushel, with good sound quality saleable at 6/- a bushel. The first sample of the new season’s Garton oats is now on the market. The quality is good, the oats being heavy and bright in appearance. The demand, however, is limited, millers not operating, and there are practically no inquiries from the North Island. Merchants are not showing much interest because of lack of orders. The nominal quotation for A Gartons is 3/6 a bushel, f.o.b.sj., and for B’s 3/9, f.o.b.s.i. Equivalent values in the country are 2/9 and 2/6, sacks extra.

SMALL DEMAND FOR CHAFF

The demand for chaff is on the' small side. Small parcels only are inquired for and it is difficult to make sales of truck loads. Most of the supplies wanted are being drawn from Canterbury. The current quotation is round about £5 10/- a ton ex truck. Medium and inferior quality chaff is difficult to place. The market is fully supplied with potatoes and the demand is not sufficient to cope with the quantities coming forward. The market is weak at £5 a ton, ex store. A few weeks have elapsed since the threshing of the seed crops began, but the amount of business going through is on the small side, as merchants are not inclined to operate at the high prices being asked by growers. Up to the present there has been little ryegrass sold to local merchants, but the market is firm because of a scarcity of supplies. The cocksfoot market also remains’ firm, with fines readily saleable to the North Island for autumn sowing. The market for Chewings fescue has shown a decline, with values steady at reduced prices consequent on the small supplies available. Reports from the south indicate that the value of new season’s Chewings fescue machine dressed, is 1/6 a lb, ex store. The dogstail market is steady and first samples of white clover are beginning to appear on the market. In Canterbury the yields of white clover are lighter than usual and the market remains firm, with no change in prices. The fruit marts report that business has been difficult during the week, auction sales having been more or less lifeless. Tomatoes and nectarines have been in heavy supply, with low prices ruling. Tomatoes have been difficult to place, even at low rates, but it has to be said that the qualities of most lines of tomatoes have, not been up to the usual standard. The quality, however, is gradually improving and there was better demand at the end of the week for choice lines. Growers are no doubt disappointed at the position, as in many cases prices would hardly pay the expenses of sending the tomatoes to the marts. Most of the lines have been arriving in ripe condition and brokers have had tb clear stocks as quickly as possible. I NECTARINES IN SUPPLY Nectarines have been in full supply, with only choice quality having any inquiry. Much better prices are now being realized in the north and this should have an effect on the local markets. Sound dessert plums have a good demand, but jam sorts have to. be sold at low prices. Greengages are practically finished for Hie season and high prices are ruling. The rush of Bon Chretien pears is now over and better prices are being realized. Freestone peaches are in fair supply. Apricots are practically finished for the season. Small lots of raspberries and cultivated blackberries are still reaching the marts.

A shipment of Samoan bananas arrived during the week, transhipped ex the Maui Pomare at Lyttelton.

Australian and Jamaican oranges are in good supply. A further shipment of Californian lemons and grapefruit, and also a few navel oranges, will arrive towards the end of next week. Supplies of apples, chiefly of Gravenstein and the Cox’s Orange Pippin variety, are arriving from Nelson. Central Otago apples are as yet hardly mature enough for dessert. COCKSFOOT OFFERED IN CANTERBURY HEAVY DELIVERIES OF WHEAT (United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, February 18. Cocksfoot has been offered freely this week and wheat deliveries have continued heavy, but apart from these two lines there is little activity in the grain and produce markets. The cocksfoot crop appears to have been good and the sample so far received is of fair quality. Little outstanding seed has been offered, but the quality is a very marked improvement on the exceptionally poor stuff harvested last year. The season has been much more favourable. Prices remain unchanged at about 9d, with 94d obtainable for extra heavy seed. Rain has to some extent interfered with harvesting, but deliveries of wheat continue at a high level. The rest will allow some of the leeway caused through a shortage of railway trucks to‘be made up. The sample continues good and improves as time goes on. There is a fairly good demand for perennial ryegrass, but as the crop appears to be particularly short and stocks are low prices remain firm. Little of the seed is offering at all. Perennial is also short this year, but stocks of last year’s seed appear to be sufficient for requirements and the market is dull. Oats are coming in heavily still, but the price remains about the same. Chaff L in poor request, with values unchanged. Odd reports of blight in the potato, crop are being received, but the trouble does not appear to be worse than normal. The weather so far has been good and the crop promises to be heavy. Little interest is being taken at present and no life is expected in the market until the South American position clarifies. In the meantime there are purchasers of potatoes at a price, but the price appears to be lower than growers will accept