OTAGO PRODUCE MARKETS

Southland Times, Issue 23740, 11 February 1939, Page 4

OTAGO PRODUCE MARKETS

Supplies Of Wheat Short NEW SEASON OATS NOT YET AVAILABLE (United Press Association) DUNEDIN, February 10. The fowl wheat market is firm. Supplies are on the short side and a portion of the new season’s milling wheat will be released to meet this particular trade. This wheat will have m the meantime to be drawn from Canterbury. Good sound quality fowl wheat is selling on a basis of 7/- a bushel, sacks extra, ex store. There are no new season s oats yet available in this district and when they appear on the market their value will be established by the rates ruling in Canterbury. . The chaff market continues quiet with small sales only being recorded. The current value is £6 10/- a ton, sacks extra, ex truck. It is reported from the north that the quality will be exceptionally good. The local market is at present only fairly supplied with potatoes and it could do with larger quantities. . linterest is being shown in file possibility of an outlet for New Zealandgrown potatoes being found in Australia where prices are ruling high. The position, however, is very uncertain as for a number of years the Australian Government has definitely refused to lift the embargo on the importation of potatoes. It is possible that this position may still be maintained. If, however. the embargo is removed, it will only be because of the very high prices ruling in Australia and probably will be temporary. Even if the embargo were only lifted temporarily, it would open a very welcome market to New Zealand potato growers. The seed market continues uncertain. Usually at this time of the year merchants are very busy but practically no transactions have taken place in new season’s seeds. Germination tests of ryegrass continue to give a low percentage and merchants Will not buy unless the seeds offered them can show a reasonable germination test. This position applies to certified ordinary and Italian ryegrass. The harvesting of fescue continues in the southern districts. Trade in this variety of seed is restricted as the majority of the merchants consider that the opening prices are too high. In view of the large crop that will be available, this season merchants prefer to wait until the market is more'fully developed. , ~ , ■ It is anticipated that the white clover crop will be on the light side because of the too' lush growth affecting the seed returns. ' heavy supplies of peaches The marts have been heavily supplied with peaches during the week and low prices have had to be -accepted to quit. Growers advise that Hales variety is nearly finished. This peach is always assured of a ready sale. Freestone peaches should be on the market next week. Supplies of Gravenstein apples are more plentiful but cooking sorts are in moderate supply only. Gravenstems are arriving from the Nelson district. A few buckets of raspberries are daily reaching the market The marts are still wanting stocks of Jamaican oranges. The market is bare of bananas. The allotment, ex the Maui Pomare, transshipped at Lyttelton, is due early next week. Supplies, of tomatoes are increasing with fair quantities of outside grown arriving from Canterbury and Nelson. The market eased considerably during the week. Fairly large consignments of the Moorpark variety of apricot have reached the market. Moorparks met a greater demand than any other variety of apricot. . Choice greengages and highly-col-oured large dessert plums have a good sale, but any other variety of plum is hard to place. Nectarines are in short supply. Only New Zealand-grown lemons are on the market at present and these have to be repacked before sending out. Some excellent samples of Bon Chretien pears have been reaching the market from Central Otago.

CANTERBURY MARKETS LESS ACTIVE (United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, February 10. The Canterbury grain and produce markets are less active than usual for this time of the year, chiefly because the North Island demand in the small seeds trade is not up to average. Chief interest is in potatoes for which the quotation for May-June-July delivery jumped to £4 10/- a ton. The reason for the rise in last week’s quotation of £3 15/- is the perennial hope that Australia will lift the embargo and allow Dominion growers a share of tin. very attractive market. There has been some agitation in Australia recently for the removal of the embargo. That does not necessariljo mean anything. Australians sought unsuccessfully to have the embargo removed last season, but the agitation does seem to have increased in volume and growers and merchants are inclined to think that the turning point in the long struggle will not be far off. They feel the embargo will be lifted this season if it is to be lifted at all, The outlook for Peninsula cocksfoot growers is not bright, In the first plao. the demand is not as good as usual, largely because merchants carried over a large amount of high-priced seed from last season and in the second place competition from the Plains seed must be met. The Plains crop has been larger and of better quality this season, and growers have been meeting the market well. There seems no possibility of fht Peninsula seed obtaining a premium over the Plains seed as some Peninsula growers expect yesterday’s quotation of 6d the same as for Plains.

Ryegrass samples coming in continue to show very low germinations, and very little seed has changed hands. Merchants are finding it very difficult to determine just what the value of this low germination seed is. It seems beyond doubt that many farmers will have to carry their own ryegrass crops this year. It is not known yet whether the southern ryegrass crop is better than Canterbury. One perennial showing about 90 per cent, germination is quoted from 3/6 to 4/-, and Italian 2/6. One or two early lots of white clover have come on to the market. Merchants’ idea of value is 9d to lid Ib.

THE WHEAT MARKET

CARGOES UNCHANGED AND PARCELS STEADY

LONDON, February 9. Wheat cargoes are unchanged and parcels are barely steady. Futures. —London: March, 23/31; May, 23/4J. Liverpool (old contract): March, 4/71; May, 4/7i Liverpool (new contract): March, 4/4; May, 4/SJ, July, 4/6i Chicago: May, 671 cents a bushel; July, 67J; September, 68g.

THE WOOL MARKET (Received February 10, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, February 9. The Bradford tops market is fully steady, with rather more business. Following are today’s quotations and those of recent weeks:— Jan. 19 Jan. 26 Feb. 2 Feb. 9

THE METAL MARKET LONDON, February 9. Metal quotations are as follows:—

OTAUTAU STOCK SALE

The first fortnightly sale of the season was held at Otautau in ideal weather conditions. There was a fair yarding of lambs, and a few pens of 2-tooth ewes. The market opened firm at late rates. There was a fair demand for forward-conditioned lambs for feed, but small out-of-condition sorts were harder to quit. There was quite an inquiry for 2-tooth ewes and values were on a par with recent sales. Forward conditioned rape lambs sold from 16/- to 17/-, medium from 12/- to 14/-, and smaller down to 8/-. Romney ewe lambs realized up to 19/and medium sorts 16/- ,to 17/-. Mixed sex Romney lambs sold from 12/- to 15/-, 2-tooth ewes 30/- to 31/-, and 2tooth wethers from 15/- to 17/-. Only a small offering of cattle was forward, which were sold up to recent values. The National Mortgage and Agency Co., sold:—Eighty-four lambs at 17/6, 250 do. at 16/2; 14 do. at 17/9; 1 cow passed at £6 10/-; 1 steer at £6, and 4 pigs at 30/-. The Southland Farmers Co-operative Association sold: —Ninety-seven 2tooth ewes at 30/9, 22 do. at 24/6, 65 ewes at 3/11, 115 ewes passed at 17/7, 13 2-tooth ewes at 24/-, 7 ewes at 4/2, 54 ewe lambs passed at 17/10, 60 f.m. ewes passed at 12/6, 41 wethers at 17/1, 1 cow at £6 12/6, 1 steer at £5 2/6, and 1 yearling heifer at £2 5/-. Wright, Stephenson and Co., sold:— Forty lambs at 12/-. 105 do. at 17/7, 58 do. at 17/2, 203 do. at 16/5, 94 do. at 14/-, 203 do. at 14/-, 44 do. at 9/-, 77 do at 8/-, 71 do. at 14/4, 150 do. at 10/10, 52 ewe lambs at 16/7, 50 m.s. lambs at 10/3, 109 do. at 12/-, 100 2tooth ewes at 31/-. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Co., sold forty-five ewes at 4/3. J. E. Watson and Co., sold: Nineteen ewes and lambs at 7/-, and 26 do. at 19/4. _ , Dalgety and Co., sold: Thirteen lambs at 9/-, 28 do. at 9/1, 126 do. at 15/6, 146 ewe lambs at 20/1, 48 do. at 14/9, 175 m.s. lambs at 10/2, 11 ewes and lambs at 14/1, 1 heifer in milk at £6 7/-, 2 pups at 8/-, 2 do. at 5/-, 6 dozen traps at 7/- dozen, and 1 top dresser at £lO. \ J. R. Mills and Son sold: Sixty wethers at 17/1, 18 sheets 7ft 6in iron at 3/- each, 13 7ft do. at 2/9 each, 13 sft do. at 1/9 each, 50 posts passed at £4, 3 strainers at 7/-, 1 do. at 6/6, 4 do. at 6/-, 8 do. at 10/-, 564 feet of wire rope at 25/-, 252 feet do. at 22/6, belting at 15/-, 1 scoop at 10/-, timber at 22/-, and 2 beams pt 41/-. WYNDHAM STOCK SALE The National Mortgage and Agency Co. Ltd. report a large yarding of sheep, comprising mostly lambs. Good rape lambs and ewe lambs sold at equal to recent sales rates, but small and backward lambs sold in buyers’ favour. A fair entry of fat lambs and ewes met good competition at firm prices. The National Mortgage and Agency Co. sold 313 wether lambs at 15/-. 118 do. at 15/3, 46 m.s. lambs at 17/-. 106 wether lambs at 13/10, 22 do. at 9/9, 69 do. at 7/-, 70 do. at 10/2, 188 do at 13/6, 24 do. at 9/7, 12 do. at 7/3, 22 do. at 9/9,,65 ewes and lambs at 9/6, 11 fat lambs at 21/-, 16 do. at 23/3, 21 do. at 21/6, 31 fat ewes at 9/6. Fat cows brought £4 to £7; dairy cows in milk £3 10/- and £4 10/-. I Messrs Dalgety and Co. Ltd. report:— Shepp.—A good yarding, comprising principally fat sheep and store lambs, and a good sale resulted. Fat lambs sold well up to schedule rates and freezing ewes improved slightly. Good forward store lambs met with good competition, while medium sorts were also inquired for. Dalgety and Co. sold: 1 fat ewe at 10/-, 15 do. at 9/6, 6 do. at 9/9, 17 do. at 9/6, 18 do. at 9/6, 26 do. at 9/6, 26 fat lambs 23/-, 37 do. at 23/6, 29 do. at 23/-, 30 do. at 20/9,12 do. at 22/9, 14 fat wethers at 19/6, 4 do. at 22/-, 14 do. at 21/3, 35 ewes and lambs at 15/6, 54 store lambs at 15/5, 58 do. at 13/3, 31 do. at 16/-, 180 do. at 16/6, 41 do. at 8/1. 185 do. at 13/8, 24 do. at 5/9, 11 do. at 2/-, 30 do. at 7/6. Cattle.—A small yarding forward and prices showed a downward tendency. Sales: —1 forward cow at £4, 1 do. at £5, 1 do. at £5, 1 do. at £4 15/-, 22 yearlings at £3 7/6, 1 dairy cow at £4 10/-. Henderson and Co. Ltd. teport:— There was a fair entry of sheep of all classes forward. The fat sheep section consisted mostly of fair quality freezing lambs and ewes. These met with a good demand and all over realized present-day schedule rates. Wethers were harder to sell and prices were about late market rates, In the store section good rape lambs sold freely, and prices were slightly better than last sale here. Good ewe lambs also were in demand and showed a slighl advance on last sale’s rates. Aged ewes in the wool, and lambs, all counted, made prices equal to other centres. We sold: 42 fat wethers at 20/6, 114 ewe lambs at 19/6, 81 wether lambs at 15/1, 70 store lambs at 15/10. 12 fat ewes at 9/9, 9 ewe lambs at 9/-, 42 cull ewes at !/-• _

Cattle: There was a smaller yarding than usual, the bulk being medium quality cows and heifers. There were very few buyers present, with the result that prices showed a drop on last sale. We sold: 1 fat cow at £5 17/6. 1 at £4 2/6; passed three bullocks.

per lb. per lb. per lb. per ib. d d d d Merinos— 70’s 26 26 26>/ 2 26 64's 25 25 25 25 60’s 24 24 24 24 Crossbreds— 58’s 21 21 21 21 56’s 19 19 19 19 50’s 17 17 17 17 46'3 •16 •16 •16 •16 44’3 •16 •16 •16 •16 •Nominal.

Feb. 8 Feb. 9 £ i ton. £ A ton. s d s d Copper— Standard, spot 42 10 7Vz 42 16 10 ; i> Forward 42 16 ioy 2 43 3 I 1 .2 Electrolytic 47 10 0 48 5 0 to 48 10 0 48 15 0 Wire bars 48 10 0 48 15 0 Lead— Spot 14 5 7>/ 2 14 6 3 Forward 14 9 4’/a 14 10 7M Spelter— Spot 13 8 IM 13 11 3 Forward 13 14 4M 13 16 10>A Un— Spot 214 0 0 215 2 6 Forward 212 12 6 213 17 6 Sliver — i Fine, per oz 20‘,'sd 20>4d Standard, per oz ' 21 ll-16d 21%d