TRADE REVIEW.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 793, 25 August 1916, Page 10

TRADE REVIEW.

» BUSINESS BACK TO NORMAL. Potatoes have shown the most change ; this week, having firmed considerably | during the last few days. Wheat is also very firm, without, actually showing a' change in prices. Chaff is a very unprofitable article to [ be holding at the present juncture, as j it shows a tendency to fall still further, j Canterbury this year has been quite cut i out of her usual outside customers, i owing firstly to the tardiness with which farmers brought forward their stocks in the early part of the year on account of the uncertainty of the season,] and secondly to the fact that the bulk j of the local sample was anything but | attractive, and most certainly not fit to compete with the Blenheim product as regards quality. In other lines of business things have . quietened down into their usual steadiness after the National Week festivities. GRAIN AND PRODUCE. The wheat market is very firm, and , Tuscan is more in request, good milling samples having been sold at Rangiora ' on Tuesday for 4/6, and it is said a j small line was sold during the week at 4/7 at a (dose station. There was a fair quantity of wheat offering by farmers on Wednesday and Thursday, in fact more than has "been offered by them for some time past, but sales were not proportionately frequent, holders evidently not being satisfied with the current rates. For some reason bran and pollard have both been reduced in price this week, 5/- in the case of bran and 10/- for pollard. Hunters is bringing from 4/8 to 4/9. There are very few lines of Pearl wheat offering, and merchants are willing to give from 5/- to 5/1 per bushel. The following are the prices paid to farmers at country stations, free of commission:— Flour £l2 10/-, 1001b bags £l3, 501b bags £l3 5/-, 251b bags £l3 10/-. Bran, £4 per ton for shipping, and j £4 5/- for local. Pollard, £7 per ton for shipping. Oatmeal, 251b bags, £l7. Ryegrass, 4/- to 5/-. Cocksfoot, 121b seed 9d, 131b seed 9id, 141b seed lOd. Peas, Partridge, 5/-. j OATS AND CHAFF. I Owing to a lack of demand, the oat market has weakened slightly, and one merchant reports having bought a line of best Gartons at 2/6. However, this may possibly be an isolated case, for most merchants agree that there is a weakness, although no actual drop in prices has occurred yet. Last week's quotations were: —Gartons 2/8 to ;2/9, Duns 2/8 to 2/10, Danish 2/4 to 2/6, and feeding oats from 2/6 to 2/9. Farmers are now bringing in their chaff freely, but the bulk of it is of inferior quality, and is hard to quit. The good growth of grass is to a certain extent responsible for the quantities that are coming in just now, as stock do not require so much, and this tends to release the farmers' surplus. Good heavy stuff is rather scarce, and where it is offering is selling at "about £4 5/-, but the inferior quality is hard to dispose of at anything over £4. POTATOES. The supply of potatoes is only equal to the demand, and Auckland and other parts of the North Island are inquiring for stocks. The price has firmed considerably during the week, and £6 10/is easily obtainable for immediate delivery, and £7 for the latter end of September. DAIRY PRODUCE. Eggs have suffered a severe drop in price during this week, and are now quoted at 1/- per dozen for stamped

and lid per dozen for others. During the last fortnight eggs have come down 6d, in two falls of 3d each, but it is considered that the present price is bedrock. Separator butter has been reduced a halfpenny, as there is a lot of fresh I butter about just now, and a good deal of the frozen stock still remains to be disposed of. Separator is now quoted at 1/2 wholesale. Factory remains the same at last week's rise, and is quoted at 1/0 net wholesale, and 1/8 retail, second grade factory 1/5J net wholesale, and 1/7 retail; dairy 1/1. Stocks of honey are practically exhausted, and the price is very firm at a rise this week of one penny, making the present retail price 7d per lb. Bacon prices remain the same as last week, viz., hams 1/-, sides lid, rolls 1/-, ham rolls 1/1, lard pats ]/-. FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. Sydney fruit is rather scarce at present, and consequently dearer. All local fruit is scarce, more particularly apples, and there is only a moderate supply of vegetables coming forward. Small shipments of Sydney and Melbourne fruit are arriving regularly, but it will probably be a fortnight before the next Island shipment arrives. Mildura and South Australian lemons will be coining to hand towards the latter end of next week. The following were the ruling prices in to-day's markets: — Apples, dessert, 3d to 4d per lb. Apples, cooking, 24d per lb. Island oranges, 12/- to 15/- per case. Mandarines, 20/- per case. Bananas, 12/6 per case. Pineapples, 15/- per case. Sevilles, 14/- to 18/- per case. South Australian and Mildura lemons, 21/- per case. Navel oranges, 20/- per case. Valencia oranges, 22/- per case. Cucumbers, 2/- per lb. Potatoes, 13/- to 14/- per sack. Cabbages, 3/0" to 5/6' per dozen. Cauliflowers, 4/6 to 8/- per dozen. Marrows, 3/6 per dozen. Pumpkins, 6/6 per dozen. Carrots, 5d to 7d per dozen bunches. Parsnips, 8d to lid per dozen bunches. Turnips, 5d to 7d per dozen bunches. Onions, 6/- to 7/- per ewt. Rhubarb, 0/6 to 0/- per dozen bunches Beet, 4d to 5d per dozen bunches. Leeks, 4d to 5d per dozen bundles.