Grocery Review

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 842, 10 December 1929, Page 10

Grocery Review

The Sun, Office, December 10, 1929. Trade continues to be exceptionally brisk, the demand for supplies from both town and country retailers, now being very heavy. Orders for January account are already coming to hand, and as deliveries for country business commence on December 16 and town on December 18, merchants expect to have the majority of their rush over by the end of next week. THE list of goods arriving last week included raisins, prunes, muscatels, salmon, pilchards and desiccated coconut, and as all the other Christmas lines are already to hand, distribution to the retail trade has been possible much earlier than usual this year. The demand for muscatels and figs has been so strong this season that supplies in wholesale hands are already almost exhausted. Canned peaches are also in short supply, but a small shipment, which arrived from Melbourne by the Kaponga, will relieve the position. This vessel is also landing the last bookings of Australian dried fruits and supplies are expected to be ample for all requirements. The lower prices available for canned pineapples have resulted in a much increased demand, and stocks are likely to be short before the arrival of the direct steamer about the middle of next month. A well known packer of raspberries and loganberries has just announced prices for the new season’s pack, these being on a par with the present season’s offerings. ACIDS Cables from London shippers of citric and tartaric acid advise a further weakness in the market for both of these commodities, prices of the former being reduced Jd a lb. and tartaric id a lb. The lower rates were not unexpected as the demand during the winter months ir Great Britain and Europe is naturally much smaller and it is anticipated thai lower levels will be reached during the next two months. ALMONDS Still lower prices are being quoted foi P.G. Sicily almonds for prompt shipment present offers showing a reduction o: £1 per ton on last week’s rates. Foi forward delivery, however, a premium if being asked, the quotations for Marcl shipment being £2 10s a ton higher while for June shipment a further £i 10s a ton is required. The offers, however, are most favourable, today’s rate: being much below last year’s prices anc the lowest since 1914. WALNUTS There is a very keen inquiry for al grades of walnuts in shell and orders ar< being supplied in New Zealand, Sorrent< and Chinese qualities. Reports fron Akaroa and other Southern sources o: supply now state that stocks of th« Dominion-grown nuts are expected to b< soon exhausted. The shipments of th» new season’s Sorrento nuts have opene< up well, these being excellent quality consequently, they are selling very freely Since these arrived the C.I.P. rates hav< firmed considerably, present quotation: for prompt shipment showing an advance of over £lO a ton. VALNUT HALVES Further shipments of Chinese halve: and pieces- are to hand and will go mb immediate distribution to the retai trade. Shipments of the new crop o French nuts are not yet to hand, the cro] being somewhat late this year. Thusual grade of French walnut halves im ported to this market is known as yel lows, these being much cheaper than th ordinary white quality. The discolour ing is due to excessive rains in France the water penetrating the shell of th walnut and turning the kernal yellow Owing to the very light rainfall in th nut-growing areas of France this year there will be very small quantities of th yellow grade available and orders wil have to be executed in . white grades prices of which are now considerabl; below last year’s rates. RICE Although quotations for the new cro of Rangoon rice are at present unchangei indications point to higher prices befor long. Heavy bookings have already bee made for shipment by the March-Apr direct steamer from the East at rates about £1 a ton below those of last year. The opening quotations for the new crop of Californian rice have just been named, fancy-coated Japan grade being more than £3 a ton and long grain Mexican type £2 10s above previous offers. PINEAPPLES Canning is now in full swing in Singapore, but although the market has been expected to firm, latest lists show further declines in all sizes, it would appear that present rates are well below the cost of production, for in comparison with the prices ruling nearly three years ago, today's rates represent a reduction of about 40 per cent. PEPPER Speculative offers have been made for the last moment business for shipment on the Narbada, due to leave Singapore on December 12, but there is little offering. It is expected that these lower rates will not be maintained, but that prices will be appreciably higher for the March - April sailing. SPICES So far as nutmegs and mace are concerned the trend of the market is still a downward one, and the ruling rates are most attractive. Full supplies of these spices will be brought forward by the December steamer. 1 CINNAMON Cables just received from Colombo quote this item at very favourable rates. Chips in Maradana quality are shown to be about 3s 6d a cwt. below previous prices, bringing today’s level to the lowest point for the last year or two. Present quata- ■ lions are for prompt shipment only. TAPIOCAS Quotations for both seed and pearl tapiocas continue firm, the last lists issued showing an advance of 5s a ton i for seed, and 10s a ton for pearl quality. I Prices for the next direct steamer shipment (March-April) will be announced this week, but little alteration on present rates is expected. COFFEE The market for coffee continues on the dull side, particularly for Java quality. The most recent offers from Samarang shippers show a further reduction of about £2 a ton for Robustg F.A.Q. quality. OLIVE OIL Prices for all descriptions of olive oil ' continue to ease, and it would appear c that the crops in Spain, France and Italy ' have been very satisfactory. l » DAIRY GRADING FIGURES £ t GOOD BUTTER INCREASE - Press Association WELLINGTON, Today. s The Dairy Division grading figures s for the four months ended November, i 1929, show an increase for butter of e 12.14 per cent, at 13,800 tons, and for _ cheese a decrease of 1.4 per cent, at 3 11,989 tons, as compared with the cor--1 responding period of the preceding / x season. 5 Reduced to terms of butter-fat equivalent the grading of dairy produce for the 11 months, show an increase of 4.53 per cent, over the gradings for the corresponding period of the preceding season.