OTAGO PRODUCE MARKETS

Southland Times, Issue 24533, 6 September 1941, Page 3

OTAGO PRODUCE MARKETS

SUPPLY OF POTATOES NOW LIMITED (P.A.) DUNEDIN, September 5. Practically the only business in wheat on the local market is confined to lines suitable for poultry purposes, the | wholesale value of which is 5/10 a (bushel ex truck. Small lots ex store are saleable at higher values. Some deliveries of seed oats are being made. There is no alteration in the chaff market. Supplies are ample to meet all requirements. Truck loads are arriving from surrounding districts and also from Canterbury. Values are unchanged at £6 to £6/5/a ton sacks extra for truck loads, but the sales takjng place are in small lots ex store at £6/15/- a ton sacks extra. I Supplies of potatoes are now limited. Most of the Otago grown tubers have been cleaned up and stores are carrying only small stocks. The demand locally has not been very strong. As a consequence of importations from Australia there has been an easing in shipping values to the North Island, but the decline is not marked. Sales had been made previously to the North Island at over £l2 a ton f.0.b.5.i., and the present quotation is about £ll/10/- a ton f.o.b.s.i. The local market has not been affected by importations as supplies here are now becoming limited. Values still rule at £lO/10/- to £ll a ton ex store, sacks extra, for freshly dug Amn Chiefs with King Edwards at higher prices. The seed markets continue firm with inquiries still being received for certain lines from overseas. The volume cf business, however, is not great and is being controlled by quantities of suitable lines available for export. Although stocks of seed sold for export have had to be held for a period awaiting shipping facilities, there has been a gradual working off of orders. The position has developed more favourably than was at first anticipated and a good clearance has now been made of lines sold for shipment overseas. There are still a number of deliveries to be completed but indications point to shipping space being available to deal with these before the end of the year. POTATO POSITION

(P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 5. Chief interest in the grain and produce markets this week has been the announcement by the Government that it would bring into New Zealand potatoes from Australia. This will be the first importation of any consequence since about 1924. when Australia first declined to allow New Zealand potatoes to be exported to Australia. The market locally has not so far reacted as i much as might have been expected. White and Dakotas showed a drop of 10/- to 15/- a ton and Sutton’s a drop of £1 a ton on the figure quoted last week-end but business in potatoes has almost ceased and any quotation is more or less nominal. It is understood that the Government purchase is for supply to military camps, but as the camps have been important buyers of potatoes recently, the removal of this source of buying from the normal market may have a greater effect than has become apparent so far. The Government has in-

formed the trade that potatoes for its own requirements will be handled through the Marketing Department, but it is understood that a request that outside this potatoes imported from Australia should be handled through the normal channels of trade has drawn no promise from the Government. It is believed that two shipments of Australian potatoes have already arrived or have been arranged and that more are contemplated. The onion position locally has weakened. There is no change in the quotation, which remains nominal at £l2. The small seeds market remains unchanged with very little business passing.