OTAGO PRODUCE MARKETS

Southland Times, Issue 23942, 7 October 1939, Page 3

OTAGO PRODUCE MARKETS

Spring Wheat Still Being Planted LARGE AREA SHOULD BE SOWN (United Press Association) , DUNEDIN, October 6. Odd lines of last season’s wheat reaching the market are being accepted by millers, who are desirous of further increasing their stocks. Most millers have sufficient stocks to keep them going until March of next year. The fowl wheat market continues quiet, with little business going through. Values are unchanged with best quality worth 5/9 a bushel, sacks extra, ex store. Small lots realized 6/3 a bushel, ex store. Spring wheat is still being planted. It 1 is fortunate that there is now available varieties of wheat such as Cross 7 and Jumbuck, as they can be sown later than ordinary varieties. Farmers are now sowing both these varieties, and i‘. is expected that spring planting will be continued until the end of October. The weather is ideal and under existing conditions the area sown in the Otago district will be larger than has been the case for a number of years.

Seed oats continue in good demand. A few lines are left in the country and most of the orders for seed purposes are being delivered from Dunedin.. North Island merchants are securing their requirements from other ports at 3/5 f.0.b.5.i., for A Gartons and §/2 f.o.b.s.i. for B’s. Values in the country on a shipping basis are 2/6, sacks extra, on trucks, for A Gartons and 2/2 for B’s. The chaff market is firm, with small stocks available. Farmers are busy with spring work and are not in the meantime sending supplies to the market. The demand for chaff in Dunedin is limited following the decreasing number of horses. For a truck-load the value may be quoted at £4/10/- a ton, sacks extra. Most of the business is confined to small lots ex stores at £5 a ton, sacks extra. POTATO MARKET The potato market was quiet towards the end of last week, but there has been a distinct firming in the South Island during the past few days as a result of a better demand from the North Island merchants who require stocks for prompt delivery. More shipments of overseas potatoes are on the way to New Zealand, and it is expected that they will be sufficient to relieve any shortage until the new season’s potatoes are on the market. Freshly-picked Arran Chiefs are worth round about £l5 to £l6 a ton, sacks included. The few lots of King Edward potatoes left on the market realize considerably higher values. Chief interest in the seed market has been the placing of a large order by the Government for 450 tons of all classesKof seed. The order has been distributed among merchants in the South Island and the supplying of such a large quantity has left the market bare of some varieties. This applies more particularly to good germinating lines of certified ryegrass and certified white clover. The market is firm for good germinating lines of certified and ordinary ryegrass, but seed below this quality is neglected. The white clover market is also firm, and supplies are limited. Small quantities of apples are being released from the cool stores and are meeting with a fair sale. Larger sizes are mostly inquired for. Small sizes are not in demand. A strong demand exists for cooking apples, but really good quality sorts are not plentiful. A recent shipment of Australian navel oranges has been sold out of the wholesale marts and also from the retail shops. A small shipment of New South Wales Valencias arrived during the week. These met with a good inquiry, notwithstanding that the quality was not up to the standard of Victorian oranges. Pears ex the cool stores are finished for the season. Regular' supplies of New Zealand-' grown lemons are coming to the local market. Prices are well maintained. A small shipment of Californian grapes arrived on the market at the week-end. A shipment of bananas arrived during the week. A large proportion of i the fruit did not arrive in the best of | order and had to be repacked. CANTERBURY MARKET (United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, October 6. The potato market has maintained the recent firming tendency and quotations to farmers are now £l4 to £l5 a ton on trucks. There is still some demand from the North Island, but the local crop is nearly all out of farmers’ hands, and business is small. Business in seeds has been dislocated by the Government’s ban on the export of certain classes. Certain quantities of dogstail and uncertified white clover were released during the week, but up till today merchants had not received an official indication of the Government’s intention for the future.