CITY TRADING

Southland Times, Issue 24057, 22 February 1940, Page 3

CITY TRADING

LITTLE BUSINESS ON MARKETS HARVESTING OF CROPS DELAYED By OUR COMMERCIAL EDITOR Up to the present there has been very little business in the grain and produce markets. Merchants are awaiting the harvesting of the new season’s crop, which has been very much delayed because of the weather. The only line in which much business has been done is Chewings fescue. A considerable proportion of the Mossburn fescue production has not yet been threshed. Oats.—Stocks at the present time are exhausted as all the old season’s oats have been cleared and the new season's crop has not yet come on the market. In the absence of stocks the market is showing a stronger demand. A large number of the crops is now ripe, but harvesting has been delayed because of the wet weather. Even when overhead conditions are-favourable growers are finding difficulty in cutting because of the softness of the ground, as a result of rain. The market for the new season has not yet opened, but it is anticipated that prices will be on a higher level than at the start of last season. Dun oats, at the present time, are meeting with a very good inquiry and growers of early lots showing good quality should obtain attractive prices. Wheat.—Harvesting of this crop has also been delayed. The new season’s wheat, passing milling grade will bo saleable at rates fixed by the Wheat Committee. In a season such as this growers might be well advised to stack for a few months before threshing with the purpose of getting milling quality. Chaff,—The market is fully supplied and the price to growers for good, bright quality is about £3/10/-, o.t.c.s. Ryegrass.—Only a limited quantity has so far been offered and merchants are awaiting germination results before committing themselves. The harvesting season has not been very satisfactory and probably a considerable proportion of the crop will be valueless. Because of the uncertainty of the percentage of germination it will probably be some time yet before opening prices are available. Chewings fescue.—The demand is active, with prices for good quality seed ranging up to 1/2 per lb. Whether this price will be sustained depends nominally on the extent of the demand from America. Browntop.—There is still a lack of demand for this seed and the market is dull. It will probably be some time yet before the new season’s seed is on the market as this crop is late m maturing. Value to growers for old season’s seed, machine-dressed, is about 1/- per lb for certified and lid for uncertified. Potatoes.—At the present time there is no shipping business and probably none will take place until towards the end of April. Local merchants are not speculating in forward business and values to growers will depend on the activity of the shipping market when the main crop is available. SUPPLIES OF STONE FRUIT Supplies of stone fruit have not been over-plentiful on the fruit marts during the past week or two. It is reported that cold weather is principally responsible for the small supplies that arb coming forward and unless there is considerable improvement in tht? weather the season may be later than usual in finishing. Apricots are finished for the season, although an odd line may come to hand. Plums are fairly plentiful and the main varieties are being marketed. Freestone peaches are expected to be ready in a week’s time. Although a few lots have already made their appearance, the biggest part of the crop has been considerably delayed. Nectarines are in good supply and greengages are practically finished. Tomatoes are coming in steadily, but there is by no means an over-supply and prices are being maintained at a much higher level than is normal during February. Bananas are unprocurable in the marts and a fresh shipment is expected to arrive next week and thereafter supplies should be regular and plentiful. A fresh allotment of lemons was placed on the market this week and a fresh shipment of Jamaican oranges also came to hand at the end of last week. A fresh distribution of Jamaican oranges was made yesterday. This release consisted of the seedless variety and prices have been raised because of the superior quality of the fruit. Supplies of apples and pears are barely sufficient for, the demand ana high prices are being obtained. It would be difficult, however, to make any comparison with the values normally ruling as the quality of the fruit so far handled by the Internal Marketing Department has been much higher all round than would have been the case if growers had been consigning individually as in the past. Under the new scheme the number of grades has been reduced to three, these being the three highest grades out of the six determined by the Fruit Packing Regulations during the last two or three years. Inferior quality fruit will not be permitted to come on the market for human consumption, and these grades will probably be largely utilized for by-products. , A consignment of Gravenstein apples arrived on Tuesday and was at onct, cleared, this being the final consignment for the season. Another consignment of apples consisting of tho Worcester Pearmain and Alfriston varieties arrived yesterday and also found a ready demand. Pears, in the meantime, are reportea to be insufficiently mature for marketing, but an attempt will be made to forward a consignment some time during the next few days. There is a better demand for vegetables this week, possibly consequent on the damage caused to crops by wind and rain.

Prices obtained at auction may be quoted as under:— Peaches (scarce), 3/- to 5/- a box. Greengages, 4/6 to 6/6 a box. Dessert plums, 4/6 to 6/- a box. Jam plums, 3/- to 4/6 a box. Tomatoes, Christchurch hothouse, 4a to 6d a pound; outdoor, 3d to 4d. s Nectarines, 4/6 to 6/6 a box. Cucumbers, 4/- to 5/- a box. Carrots, to 1/6 a dozen bundles. French beans, to 3d a pound. Cabbages, 2/- to 3/- a dozen. Potatoes, 6/6 to 7/6 per cwt. Cauliflowers, to. 8/- sack. Lettuce, to 1/6 dozen. Beetroot, to 2d lb. RANGE OF PRICES Wholesale Bran: £6 a ton. Butter: First grade, 1/4J. Oatmeal; 25’s £25/10/- a ton; 200’s £23/10/-. Pollard: 100’s £7/10/- a ton; 150’s £7/5/- a ton. Flour: 200’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 100 Tb. Butter: l/6g. Oatmeal: s’s 1/8; 25’s 7/9. Flour: 25’s 4/6; 50’s 8/6; 100’s 16/-. Pollard: 9/- per 100115. EGG PRICES Egg prices were quoted yesterday at 1/8 to 1/9 a dozen wholesale, and from 1/10 to 2/- a dozen retail. Country prices Id a dozen less. 1 SEPARATOR BUTTER Yesterday separator butter was quoted at lOd to 1/- per lb wholesale, the latter price being for specially good lines. Little demand exists for inferior quality. . The retail prices yesterday ranged from 1/2 to 1/3. The prices of eggs and separator butter vary from day to day. The prices quoted above were those in force yesterday.