COMMERCIAL PRODUCE MARKET

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23316, 27 September 1945, Page 6

COMMERCIAL PRODUCE MARKET

No More Wheat May Be Sown High-grade Grasses And Clovers Sought Farmers in South Canterbury have received another setback with spring sowing, all operations having been stopped by the rain this week. It is questionable if any more wheat will be sown in the district this year. Providing the weather improves in the near luture, farmers will perhaps concentrate on the planting of oats, barley, linseed and peas. The demand for seed potatoes has slackened. Now that some of the other crops cannot be sown farmers may show a preference for potatoes. Although the acreage is considerably reduced this year, it is doubtful if sufficient seed is available to sow the acreage originally intended. While the demand continues for all high grade lines of ryegrass. Italian (certified and uncertified), white clover. Montgomery red, cowgrass and dogstail. merchants in South Canterbury are finding it difficult to secure a market for low-test ryegrass. Stores in Timaru have been relieved of a certain quantity of seeds as several shipments have been made during the month. Quotation prices for seeds from England have been received in New Zealand. Mangolds, swedes and turnips, kale and rape have all been offered at what is described as reasonable prices. Wheat Small lines of wheat are still coming to hand and are being accepted readily by millers. Current fixed prices are: Hunters 7/04 and Tuscan 6/104 a bushel. Oats The market for oats remains lifeless. Some ports in the North Island have advised that storage space is difficult to obtain—particularly Auckland—and this may be the reason for buyers operating sparingly. • Chaff Any lines of good, bright oatsheaf offering are meeting a ready market at £6/10/- a ton on trucks, sacks extra. Peas The embargo on Prussian blue peas has been removed, and it is understood that some inquiry has been received for these from the Continent, particularly Belgium. Potatoes Small lines of potatoes are coming forward, but the majority of the crop has been cleaned up. Prices remain: £lO/10/- a ton for Suttons and King Edwards of average quality; £lO a ton for whites and Dakotas, free on board. Seeds The demand continues for highgrade purity and germination ryegrass, Italian, white clover, Montgomery red, cowgrass and dogstail. Low-test lines are not wanted.

ADDINGTON MARKET

Little Variation In Prices (N.Z.P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 26. There were reduced entries in both fat sheep and cattle at Addington today, but prices did not show any marked change. Fat pigs sold at a slight drop. Store sheep—The entry fell from 3438 last week to 2390. The quality of the hoggets forward was not up to last week’s offering, but there was no material change in prices. The highest price for ewe hoggets was 38/6 and other pens made from 30/- to 34/-. A line of halfbreds sold from 26/- to 27/9. The best figure for wether hoggets was 29/6. Ewes with lambs at foot drew keen bidding, one pen of 43 ewes and 53 lambs selling at 19/9, all counted. Others ranged from 15/to 18/6, with inferior selling down to 9/-. Only a few wethers -were forward, a pen of two-tooths selling at 37/-. A pen of shorn wethers made 24/-. Fat sheep—The entry w r as 3500 against 5000 last week. The sale opened slightly easier, but when some highclass wethers and ewes were offered later in the sale there was an animated demand and last week’s high prices were easily maintained. Medium young wethers also sold remarkably well, but there was a slight easing for light wethers and ewes. The highest price for wethers was 74/1 and there were many sales in excess of 65/-. The best figure for young ewes was 59/1, and for aged ewes 52/7. A pen of shorn fourtooth wethers sold from 43/- to 49/7.

Fat cattle—The entry was 484 against 506 last wek. The percentage of prime cattle was slightly larger than usual. The early market opened slightly easier but revived later, the average drop being about 1/6 per 1001 b. Best beef sold to 59/-. good to 54/-, plain 44/- to 46/-, and cow beef to 34/-, all per 1001 b. Extra prime steers made £23 to £27. prime £2O to £22/15/-, extra prime heifers to £lB, prime £l3 to £l5/10/-, extra prime cows to £lB/17/6 and prime to £l3/5/-. Fat pigs—The looker entry was the smallest for several weeks and was of mixed quality. Competition was keen, but prices dropped from 2/- to 3/- a head. Well-finished choppers met with a strong sale, top price for three being £2O/3/6. The bacon market showed little change. The average price per lb was 9d. BURNSIDE SALE IMPROVEMENT IN VALUES (N.Z.P.A.) DUNEDIN, Sept 26. Values at Burnside to-day showed a decided improvement in all sections. The fat cattle entry numbered 245, and the quality was the poorest for several weeks. Prices opened fully 30/above last week’s rates, and this trend was maintained for the greater part of the auction, although toward the finish there was an easing of 15/- a head. Prime bullocks made £24/12/6 to £33/2/6, medium £lB/2/6 to £2O/7/6, and light from £l5/7/6. Prime heifers made £l4/17/6 to £l7/2/6. medium £lO/17/6 to £l2/17/6. and light from £B/17/6. Prime cows made £lO/17/6 to £l6/7/6, medium £B/17/6 to £lO/1/6, and light from £7/12/6. There was a small entry of 1450 fat sheep, mostly medium descriptions. Prices advanced from 3/- to 4/- a head compared with last week's rates. Prime wethers made 56/- to 70/-, medium 46/- to 50/-, and light from 38/-. Prime ewes made 51/- to 54/-, medium 37/6 to 40/-, and light from 32/-. Two spring lambs made 48/- and 52/6. There were not many baconers up for auction, and as a result the sale was a particularly keen one. Extra prime baconers made £B/17/- to £9/11/-, prime £7/5/- to £B. medium £5/17/- to £6/4/-, and light from £4/15/-. OPOSSUM SKINS FIRST SALE OF SEASON (N.Z.P.A.) DUNEDIN. Sept. 26. The first opossum skin sale of the season was held at Dunedin on Tuesday and catalogues comprising 140.946 skins were submitted to the usual bench of buyers. Owing to the fact that the season for trapping opened earliei’ than usual, the average quality of the skins was not up to last season’s standard. There was a fairlv good demand, particularly for all grades of blues, and these sold at higher rates than was the case at the opening sale last year. Compared with September rates of last season the market can be quoted as follows:—Blues, 3d to 2/6 a skin firmer; greys, 2d to 9d a skin firmer; pale greys, 2d to 6d a skin firmer; rusty greys, par to 6d a skin firmer; red necks, par to 6d a skin lower; super and first blacks, par to 9d a skin firmer: second and third blacks, 2d to lOd a skin lower; red browns, 3d to 1/4 a skin lower; dark browns supers and firsts, 2d to lOd a skin dearer; seconds and thirds, par to 6d a skin lower; stale, damaged and inferior skins sold at lower rates.

Following- is the official range of prices:—Super blues. 21/- to 22 6; first blues, 17/2 to 18/5; second. 13/- to 14/1; third. 4/7 to 5/10; super greys 13/11 to 15/1; first greys, 10/5t012/4-’ second, 6 2 to 7/7; third, 2/11 to 3/ll : super pales, 8/10 to 9/11; first pales' 7/11 to 9second, 4/10 to 5/9; third’ 2/8 to 3/2; super rusty, 9/2 to 9/lfl-' first rusty. 8 7 to 9/-; second 5/6 to 511; third, 2/10 to 3/2; super red necks. 8 9 to 9 8; first red necks. 8/to 9/5; second, 5/10 to 6'4; third, 2/11 to 3/9; super blacks. 6 9 to 7 10- first blacks, 4 11 to 6/3; second. 2 5 to 3/5

third. 1/9 to 2/3; super dark browns, 7/- to 8/-; first dark browns, 6/1 to 7/4; second, 3/5 to 4/9; third, 1/11 to 2/9; super red browns. 7 6 to 8/6; first red browns, 1 ! - to 7/7; second, 3/6 to 3/8; third, 2/1 to 2/5; medium blues, 4/9 to 9/1; medium greys. 3/5 to 5/10; medium blacks, 1/- to 2/8; small blues and greys, 2/10 to 6/-: small blacks, 8d to 1/3; first ferretskins, 18/- to 25/3; second ferretskins. 10/-. to 14/-; first white ferretskins. 19/10; medium white ferretskins. 4/-; inferior, 3d to 6d: ratskins, lid; catskins, 2/-. STOCKS AND SHARES Auckland.— Sales on 'Change: War Loan, 1/10/53. 21 per cent,., £97/10 -; Liberty Loans, 15/12/53-56, 3 per cent., £lOO/5/-; 15/5/53-56, 3 per cent., £lOO/7/6: National Savings Bonds, 15/9/45. £97/10/-; Dominion Investment Banking. 23/6 <3): A.C.1.. 57/-: Fletcher Holdings, 33/9; G. J. Coles. 75/6: Grey and Menzies (pref.). 20/-: Henry Jones. 56/- (2): Reid Rubber. 35/9 35/6 (3); Wilson's Cement. 19/9 (3); Woolworths (Syd.), 24/8: Emperor, 18’3. Wellington— Sales on 'Change: Stock. 15 '4/56-59. 3 per cent., £lOO '7 '6 <27: Stock, 15 '4/46-49. 4 per cent.. £102; McKenzies. 66 -: Wilham Cable (nref.). 31/-: Woolworths (Svd.). 24/9; Stock, 15/12 '53-56. 3 per cent.. £loo's' : Stock. 15 '2/55-58, 3 per cent.. £100: Bank of N.Z.. 50/-: 49/10 1 -; Mos"iel Woollen. £l4/10/-; Westport-Coal. 27'9; Wilson's Cement, 19/10. Christchurch.— Sale on 'Change: Stock. December, 1953-56. 3 per cent., £lOO/5/-. Sales Reported: Victory Loan. 1956-59, 3 per cent.. £lOO/5/-; Bank of N.Z.. 50/-; Timaru Woollens, 20 9: Tooth's Brewery. 66'6: Kaiapoi Woollen (cont.). 12/3; Stock. December. 1953-56. 3 Per cent.. £lOO/s'-: Stock, May, 1953-56. 3 per cent., £lOO 10'-. Dunedin.— Sales Reported: Woolworths. Ltd.. 24 8: Mt. Lyell. 27'2: G. J Coles. 75/6: Westport Coal. 27 9; Stock, 1956-59. 3 ner cent.. £loo'7 6.