COMMERCIAL

Taranaki Daily News, 9 April 1927, Page 13

COMMERCIAL

CANTERBURY MARKETS. PRICES REMAIN VERY QUIET. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. Merchants state that* the past week has been particularly slow for business, very few orders coming to hand, and they are expecting a quieter time during the. period directly ahead than was experienced in the past few months, having sufficient on hand to satisfy all requirements for some time to come. Millers are displaying no anxiety to buy wheat at-present. Growers, dissatisfied with the prices offering, are, in many cases,, putting their wheat in store, having ■ been advised Unfit they will be wise to do so. Wheat is still being quoted at 5s Id and in some instances at us 2d per bushel on trucks to farmers at country stations. The millers’ idea of the question is naturally very different from that of the growers, and they state that in view of many good returns that are evident in to-day the grower, ean afford to accept a lower figure than they, got last season. They state further that whijg they aro now- paying 5s Id they were previously giving 6s, and consequently the average is about 5s fld. A number of farmers who were offered 6s some time ago refused to accept that figure and a good proportion of them are now storing their wheat in anticipation of a better price being realised later.

Oats have shown a little more life during the past few days, although there is perhaps no quotable difference, and chaff has livened up in sympathy, being now worth at least£3 10s per ton. Partridge peas are also a little brighter, being quoted at 7s per bushel on trucks at country stations.

The w.higatui, which left this week for Auckland, took over 2800 sacks of potatoes and the Waipiata is expected to take about 4000 sacks. Some merchants cliam tha the market is better than it was a few days ago, but on the other hand another merchant said today that while potatoes were sold at 95s f.0.b., 5.1., Lyttelton, for May-June delivery, they could be bought by merchants later at 92s 6d. The price to farmers to-day is from £3 10s to £3 15 on trucks at country stations. Dissatisfact on is also expressed by growers at the present prices offered for onions, <z., £2 7s Cd, and were it not for tile fact that many are short of money they would prefer to hold on to them until later in the season.