POTATOES WELL SUPPLIED

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 531, 7 December 1928, Page 12

POTATOES WELL SUPPLIED

CHEAPER ONIONS STEADY BUSINESS IN SEEDS | I Steady trading has been transacted in grain, seed and produce circles over the week. Prices for most lines are unchanged. fjPHE potato market is slightly easier, with Fukekohe growers coping with the demand with greater ease. Quotations for storekeepers’ lots on the rail Fukekohe firmed during the week to 16s 6d yesterday, but by mid-day yesterday had dropped back to 14s 6d a cwt. Ample supplies are available at the moment. Good quality tubers are selling down as low as 14s a cwt in the marts, but the general through store price in Auckland is up to 16s 6d a cwt. Onions are offering at a wide range of prices. There are still a few Canadians available, for which some merchants still ask as high as 27s 6d. In the marts poorer quality sorts not keeping too well are going out at 20s a cwt. The general price for Melbourne Globes ranges round 20s, with fresh supplies to arrive early next week offering at 18s 6d. The near future appears to be covered fairly well with regular shipments arranged to carry the market on until the arrival of the Fukekohe crop. Wheat Selling Freely Increased business has been done in wheat during the past week, poultry feeders, with the hot weather now making itself felt, favouring this grain instead of maize, despite the higher price. The Southern market is somewhat uncertain at the moment, and registering a slightly easier tone. Speculators appear chary of risking forward commitments for several reasons, one being the operations of the new wheat pool, another being uncertainty as to the Government’s attitude toward the tariff. At the moment, wheat on the spot is selling at unchanged values, 7s Sd through store, Auckland. Maize Over-Supplied Maize is suffering as a result of the greater popularity of wheat, and the market, following a fairly heavy shipment early in the week, is temporarily at saturation point. Efforts to sell Gisborne maize, which was bought forward and landed here on a basis of 5s 3d a bushel Gisborne earlier in the week at 5s Id, for the most part proved fruitless, and the greater portion of the consignment had to -be placed' in store. In the Bay of Plenty the position is unchanged. Very little seems to be left down there, but the fact that most provincial storekeepers seem to be well stocked up, prevents Auckland merchants from getting any additional business just now. It is not expected that the position will show j any improvement until after the Christmas vacation. Chaff and oats are meeting with a steady sale at unchanged prices. B Cartons sell around 4s 8d a bushel, with A’s 3d dearer. Chaff is firm at £9 10s. A very heavy seasonal demand is I reported by some merchants for grass • and turnip and swede seeds.