Grocery Review

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 639, 16 April 1929, Page 10

Grocery Review

The Sun Office, April 16, 1929. The wholesale grocery merchants have had a busy week, orders being well up to the average for this period of the month. Heavy shiprnents of goods 'ordered for arrival after stocktaking are now coming these in many instances arriving to almost a bare market. ALTHOUGH the first delrv 'eries of Australian canned fruits have only just arrived, it is stated that no further supplies of sliced peaches can now he booked in Australia. There are. however, still some orders to be delivered out of early bookings by the merchants. One local packer of currants and sultanas in packets advises a reduction in price this week: this is no doubt due to the lower prices ruling for Australian grades this season. A new line of tobacco in 2oz tins is about to be placed on the local market, but supplies will not be available until next week. With the advent of winter conditions, there has been an increasing demand for breakfast foods, cereals, soups, during the past week. The list of goods just arriving includes greaseproof paper. Barcelona kernels. Australian macaroni, and vermicelli, fruit pulps. Ceylon tea and olive oil. JAMS South African jams just recently landed bate met with a considerable demand, and merchants report having sold out of certain varieties. It is difficult to state when replacements can be landed owing to freighting difficulties, but with the strong public inquiry it will probably be necessary to arrange for further supplies This bC wi,Wvev y , ncre^fse in the cost. GINGER The latest cabled rate for 1-long-Koii," preserved ginger shows the indent mar” ket to be a little easier, present c i f e quotations for prompt shipment being’ reduced by id a lb, as compared with prices of a few weeks ago. WALNUTS Southern shippers of New Zealand walnuts are now offering new season's supplies, and reports from Akaroa advise the crop as of good quality. These walnuts always command a premium on most of the imported varieties, and on the present f.o.b. quotations show a reduction of * a lb on last season's prices. Supplies of New Zealand walnuts are usually very limited and at to-day's quotation represent good value. PEANUTS the . app V oa S h of win ter conditions, Chinese peanuts m shell are meeting i v '“ 1 good demand. Good supplies’ are held bj the local merchants, and notwithstanding the unsettled state of affairs in Southern China, indent rates remain unaltered on previous quotations. Java kernels, on the other hand, are reported by the agents of overseas shippers to be extremely scarce in ports of shipment, it now being the tail end of the season. Local stocks are about normal, but the good consuming demand setting in, there is likely to be a shortage until the first •»i e new season’s can arrive, which i /» not i. until approximately July/August. With the shortage of supplies in first hands, the market in Java remains exceedingly firm, closing business being done at an advance of 10s a ton on previous rates. SICILY ALMONDS Interest in this item is still being shown, as apparently further buying has vet to be done, particularly for new’ crop. The market at present, however, is a very difficult one, as business recently sent up to Sicily at the previous prices on offer, failed, to be confirmed, suppliers advising their agents that owing to the severe and cold winter it is very difficult to estimate forward prices. In consequence it was necessary to advance prices of both present and new crop supplies by £5 a ton. It has to be remembered that the business already booked in new season's almonds is purely speculative so far as shippers are concerned, and apparently with the uncertain conditions now ruling in Sicily, suppliers are not prepared to take any further risks meantime. JORDAN ALMONDS

Although prices for new season's Jordan almonds were reported to be lower at the beginning of last week, cables from London shippers have since been received advising that the market has at. last firmed and quotations were advanced by £2 a ton. Mail advices just to hand state that the prospects of the new’ crop are not too good, and it is expected to be considerably below last year's crop. PEPPER Quotations for Singapore peppers continued to fluctuate right up to the time of departure of the April direct steamer, and the market to-day shows little sign of weakening. Regarding the new drop supplies of pepper, it is reported that the main crop w’ill be somewhat earlier than usual this year, considerable quantities being expected to arrive in Singapore in July, whereas the main bulk does not usually come forward from the source of origin until August/September. There are also indications that the Lampong crop will be somewhat larger than normal, and this, taken in conjunction with the reports from Bombay, that this season’s Malabar crop is estimated at 25 per cent, greater than last year, makes it appear reasonable to suppose that lower I prices will he seen in the middle of the year. Jn 1926 and 1928 the lowest prices recorded during the year were in the month of August and although this was : not so in 1927 tnere appears to be a disI tinct possibility that once again lower, ! if not the lowest, prices will be seen durging that month. ! PIN EAPPLES Slight reductions in Singapore pineapples have just been advised for the. July/August shipment, , both lj’s cubes and sliced tails being reduced by 3d a dozen with quotations for other sizes remaining unchanged. As evidence of the continued popularity of canned pineapples in this Dominion it is interesting to note that in 1925 the imports to New Zealand by the direct steamers were over 36.000 cases, while in 1928 the quantity had been increased to a total of over 62,000 cases. If the present rate of increase is maintained it means that over 70,000 cases will be imported during the present year. RAISINS The cables from U.S.A. regarding the extensive damage to orchards in California, have had the effect of firming prices of the present crop of raisins, and quotations for unbleached Thompson’s seedless grade have already been advanced by 2s a cwt. As prices for all gi’ades of Californian dried fruits have been ruling on an exceptionally low’ level for some months now', it would not be surprising to see a general firming in all quotations before long. MINING NEWS ALBURNIA. —The manager reports:— . "Drive north on the footwall branch of 1 the Orlando reef, from the crosscut at the wince has been extended 4 feet, a I total of 99 feet. The reef here still ; averages 5 feet wide and is a strong body of stone carrying mineral blend, antimony and silica. Strong colours and j dabs of gold are seen in the ore. I secured 61b. of picked stone from the j centre of the reef as I wired to the , office. This is very encouraging, as we i have a fine reef in new country, with no work done above or below, and if we i get payable ore here it means a new mine, as gold has been seen on both branches of this reef at this level, and the branches are both strong bodies of stone. The rise on the hangingwall branch of the Sons of Freedom reef from the 70ft. level has been risen 6 feet, a total of 63 feet. The extra 6 feet of i rising here had to be done, for, in mak- j ing the connection with the Whau Level we were just under the level. The crosscut cast from the top of this rise has been extended 11 feet, a total of 31 l feet. At this point we holed through i to the Whau level. It will take another : week yet to complete the connection and then cleaning up the level into the leader will be carried on, which we hope to be very soon." LUCKY SHOT. —The manager reports: "During the past week no work has been done in the winze. All hands have been engaged cutting out a chamber to install the winch for winding. This was finished to-day. and the work of sinking on the reef again will be resumed on Monday."