OTAGO PRODUCE MARKETS

Southland Times, Issue 23634, 8 October 1938, Page 4

OTAGO PRODUCE MARKETS

Wheat Arrives From Australia DISTRIBUTION AMONG LOCAL MILLS (United Press Association) DUNEDIN, October 7. The Kauri from Melbourne, is now at the wharf discharging a portion of her cargo of Australian wheat. The wheat will be distributed among local mills to supply the deficiency of supplies of milling wheat obtaining in the South Island. It is expected that this will be the last shipment for the season of Australian wheat to this port. Stocks of fowl wheat are on the short side right throughout the Dominion. The North Island is still being kept supplied with wheat from Australia, and in the South Island merchants are drawing on stocks of locally grown wheat, most of this being secured from the South Canterbury district. The market is firm, with prices ranging from 6/6 to 6/9 a bushel, sacks extra. The demand for seed wheat has fallen off, as farmers have practically completed their sowing. The position now is that there are few lines' of good wheat available. The oat market continues lifeless. The consumptive demand for both feed oats and those required for oatmeal is poor, and North Island merchants are having no difficulty in securing from ports outside Dunedin any lines they require. The general quotation for A garton’s is 3/4 f.o.b. s.i., and for B’s 3/1 f.o.b. s.i. Some sales have been recorded at one penny a bushel below these figures. . Stocks in this centre are on the light side and there is still a demand for these for seed purposes. Most of the stocks will soon be worked off for sowing and also to meet small local feed demand, DEMAND FOR CHAFF QUIET The demand for chaff is on the quiet side. Quotations show no change, best quality B still being worth £6 10/- a ton, sacks extra, ex store. Where necessary to supplement their stocks. in stores, merchants are securing lines from the country. The potato market continues lifeless, and it is difficult to make sales. Most distributors are carrying substantial stocks, and retailers are working on a hand-to-hand basis as they are anticipating still lower prices, according to reports. A few lines are being sent to the North Island, but it is expected that the demand there for old potatoes will continue longer than usual as the early crops of nbw potatoes in the North Island are reported to be seriously affected by blight. The nominal quotation is £3 a ton, sacks included, for best quality. A good export demand is still being experienced for white clover and dogstail, and substantial lines have.been sold for shipment to England, ..where it is reported that there has been a partial failure in seed crops. Stocks of both white clover and dogstail are now 'getting into short compass, and fescue is unprocurable. There is still an inquiry from overseas/ for fescue. During the week there have been inquiries for Brown Top, but the market for this variety is on the quiet side. The cocksfoot market remains steady, and the same position applies to; both ordinary and certified ryegrass. . The .cowgrass market,4s .quiet. There is little demand for this'clover at the present time. ■ . FRUIT REPORT The oranges which arrived from Australia last week have been sold out of the marts, and a small shipment of Australian joppa has been released from Wellington to help the local market. A shipment of bananas, ex the Maui Pomare, has now been sold out of wholesale hands. A small shipment of Samoans is due early next week, transhipped ex the Matua. Fair supplies of apples have been arriving from Central Otago and Canterbury. The latter are out of cool stores. The bulk of apples are of fair quality. Only a few lines of winter nelis and winter cole pears, ex the Nelson cool stores, have reached the market and they are meeting with a ready sale. The Karetu from Sydney landed a shipment of Queensland pineapples. The market is well supplied with lemons and sales are on the slow side. Small lots of Auckland hothouse tomatoes are reaching the market weekly. The quality is good and sales are steady. A fair quantity of Californian grapes has come forward and these have been readily placed, preference being shown for darker coloured grapes. Another supply will be to'hand next week, but it will only be of small dimensions. The first of the season’s asparagus arrived from Canterbury this week. It met with a fair demand only. CANTERBURY MARKET PROPOSED SCHEMES FOR POTATO GROWERS (United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, October 7. The Canterbury grain and produce markets continue dull and featureless. There has been very little activity in any section and no quotable change has occurred in prices since the last report. Merchants and farmers alike have given the potato market up for this season. Reports continue to come in of quantities of potatoes retained on farms in various parts of the province, but merchants are unable to do anything about the position. The surplus of the crop has started a discussion about prospects for next season, and it is being freely suggested that the area to be planted in potatoes should be strictly limited. A scheme which has been mentioned is that potato growers should register, and, at the same time, notify the area they propose to plant. When the register was completed a revision would be made and the total area enlarged or decreased, according to the estimated requirements. Some interest is being taken also in the assurance given by the Minister of Marketing (the Hon. W. Nash) in an address at Waimate this week that he would be willing to work out a scheme, if the growers wanted it, under which the potato grower would get a reasonable return for his expenditure. NEW COMPANIES IN SOUTHLAND REGISTRATION NOTIFIED Registration of the following new Southland companies is notified in the latest issue of The Mercantile Gazette: Barker (W.M.) Ltd. Registered as a private company September 28. Office: Don street, Invercargill. Capital: £6OO in 600 shares of £.l each. Subscribers: Invercargill—S. W. Jones. Orawia.— W. M. Barker 300 shares each. Objects: Farmers and graziers. Associated Gold Dredges (N.Z.) Ltd. Registered September 28. Office: George street, Timaru. Capital: £200,000 in 197,000 ordinary £1 shares and

60,000 deferred 1/- shares. Subscribers: Gore. —R. B. Bannerman. Timaru. — W. J. Watkins. B. E. H. Tripp. Greymouth. —F. L. Watts. Christchurch. —C. G. McKellar. Te Puia.—A. B Williams. Gisborne.—H. B. Williams, 1000 shares each. Objects: Gold mining and dredging.