CITY TRADING

Southland Times, Issue 23692, 15 December 1938, Page 3

CITY TRADING

LITTLE ACTIVITY ON MARKETS NO BUSINESS IN WHEAT By OUR COMMERCIAL EDITOR Wednesday evening. There has not been much activity on the Invercargill produce markets during the past week and a lack of interest was apparent in many of the markets. Oats.—As is usual at this time of the year there is a lack of interest in. the market. Milling and shipping inquiries are quiet and there is very little business passing between farmers and merchants.' Values nominally range from 2/4 to 2/6, 0.t.c.5., according to grade and bushel weight Wheat.—There is no business taking place between farmers and millers, the whole of the wheat production for pie past season Jtaving been dealt with. Requirements for the local poultry trade are being drawn from northern centres.

Chaff.—Offerings by growers are more than sufficient for requirements. There is no shipping demand and the local demand is very restricted. Top value to growers for good, bright qual-. ity is about £4 a ton, o.tc.s. Ryegrass.—Stocks are in small compass and all will be required for the farmers’ seed trade. The new season’s crop which should begin offering about February will be the next matter of interest to farmers. This should come on a bare market There should be a good demand for certified lines, but values for uncertified Southland seed will depend on the quantity produced. The demand for the latter is now rather limited and any over supply, will have the effect of reducing values. Other seeds.—Harvesting of Chewings fescue should begin in the New Year and except for a few lines of the 1937 crop, which is of doubtful germination, the new season’s seed should cope on to a clear market. The price will depend on the prospects of overseas sales. Browntop is still dull of sale because of absence of overseas outlets. Values to growers for machine-dressed are 1/- for certified. and lid for uncertified.

Potatoes.—Business in old potatoes is practically finished and the local demand will now be chiefly for new season’s early potatoes. There will be no further, interest in the shipping market so far as Southland is concerned until the main crop comes on the market about next April.

THE FRUIT MARTS Heavy supplies of tomatoes have been coming forward this week and today’s values were as low as they are likely to be for the next fortnight. New Zealand lemons are in short supply, consignments arriving this week being taken up at once at good prices. Local .apples are finished and there are only small stocks of Canadians to fill requirements for the next fortnight. Strawberries are nearly finished. Cherries are fairly plentiful, but it is understood that the late crop is light and supplies may be short for Christmas. The market is bare of bananas at present, only a few cases out of the main shipment coming to hand this morning. Tiie balance will arrive tomorrow morning, giving ample time to ripen a sufficient quantity for next week. Oranges are also in short supply, but the first shipment of Jamaicans should arrive on Thursday or Friday of this week. New potatoes are plentiful, but the demand is slack. Cabbages and cauliflowers are more plentiful, but lettuces are scarce, crops having been extensively damaged by wet weather. Wholesale prices are as follows:— Apples.—Canadian, 25/-. Tomatoes.—Christchurch hothouse 9d to 1/2.

Cherries.—sd to 1/- per lb. Strawberries.—lOd to 1/3 a pottle. New Zealand lemons.—Best quality, to 18/- a case. Cauliflowers.—9/- a sack. New potatoes.—To 2d per lb. Cabbages.—2/9 a bag. Lettuce.—l/6 to 2/6 a dozen. Green peas.—3Jd to 5d per lb. Rhubarb.—2d per lb. Gooseberries.—2d per lb. RANGE OF PRICES Wholesale Bran.—£6 a ton. Butter.—First grade 1/4J; separator, 1/1 to 1/2 for best quality. Oatmeal.—2s’s £2O a ton; 200's £l9 a ton. Pollard.—loo’s £7 10/- a ton; 150’s £7 5/- a ton. Flour.—2oo’s £l3 15/6 a ton; 100’s £l4 12/6 a ton; 50’s £l4 17/6 a ton; 25’s £l5 17/6 a ton. Retail Bran.—7/6 per 1001 b.

Butter. —1/6J; separator, 1/4. Oatmeal.—s's 1/6; 25 s 6/9. Flour.—2s’s 4/6; 50’s 8/6; 100’s 16/-. Pollard.—9/- per 1001 b. Onions.—4lb for 1/-. New potatoes (local). —4d per lb. EGG PRICES Egg prices are quoted at 1/3 to 1/5 a dozen retail, with wholesale prices at from 1/2 to 1/3. Country prices, Id a dozen less. SHEEPSKIN SALE IN DUNEDIN COMPETITION NOT KEEN (Special to The Times) DUNEDIN, December 14. The fortnightly sheepskin sale was held yesterday, when medium-sized catalogues were offered to a small attendance of buyers. Competition was not very keen, but values for good quality full-woolled skins showed only a slight decrease of up to Jd per lb on the previous sale’s rates. Dead and damaged sorts and halfwool skins were not in very good demand, and these may be quoted from Jd to Id per lb easier. Crossbred full-wool made to 7Jd, crossbred three-quarter wool to 74d. crossbred half-wool to 53d, crossbred quarter-wool to 4gd, Merino threequarter wool to 6jd, halfbred dead to 6|d, crossbred dead to 5Jd, full crossbred dead to s|d, halfbred hogget to 6d, full crossbred hogget to s|d, crossbred hogget to 5Jd, full crossbred threequarter to full-wool to 7Jd, full crossbred half-wool to 6id, halfbred threequarter to full-wool to 7|d, halfbred half-wool to 6Jd, halfbred threequarter to full-wool to 7jd, halfbred half-wool to 6Jd, halfbred quarter-wool to sjd, halfbred lambs to 5Jd, crossbred lambs to sd, first pelts to 2|d, and halfbred pelts to 2d. THE BUTTER MARKET VERY FIRM TONE IN LONDON (Received December 14. 10.40 p.m.) LONDON, December 13. The butter market is very firm after an announcement of the reduction in Australian shipments. Quotations: New Zealand.—Choicest salted, 110/-; unsalted, none offering, Australian: Salted, 108/-; unsalted, 110/-.