MARKET REPORTS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20482, 7 December 1934, Page 9

MARKET REPORTS.

Wholesale Grocery Trade Improving. HEAVY ORDERS. Business in the wholesale grocery trade continues to show improvement, in fact some merchants have found it to cope with the orders. A very heavy demand is being experienced for canned fruits in all varieties, and stocks at both wholesale and retail arc being rapidly depleted. The warnfer weather has also caused a strong demand for concentrated fruit |extracts, sheep tongues, jelly crystals, Some price alterations are noted in the various packs of Heinz goods. Reductions have been made in individual beans and spaghetti, peanut butter and tomato ketchup; while capers and horse •radish have been advanced in price. | Onions are in very short supply, and the few that are offering are bringing , a high price. A recent arrival is a supply of prepared wax, in a new pack, which had | been previously off the market for some time. In addition to the tins the packers are now putting up a liquid wax which is reported to have sold very freely in Australia. The Australian Dried Fruit Control Board have cabled quotations for new season's dried tree fruits for shipment from March till June. For teaches, nectarines and pears, prices are higher than last year by id to Id per lb. Up to the present no announcement has been made of prices foi- dried apricots, which would seem to indicate that, when they are named they will be a good deal, higher than last. year. Following on the weaker butter values ruling at Home, local factories advise la reduction of id per lb as from the Ist ' instant. I Cable advice received from London jvhis week announces the. tea export reI -trietlon for 193.") at 17% per cent. This shows an increase of 5 per cent on this •year’s restriction. This decision should tend to keep the tea market firm during 1935. Planters will welcome this news, as many estates during this year have been producing tea at a loss. According to inquiries made from the shipping company, the Narbada, which was the next direct sailing from Calcutta and Singapore, has been further delayed, and the indications are that it wift not now be possible for her to reach "Lyttelton before the end of January. whereas she had been previously expected early in the New Tear. This is likely to lead to a shortage of such lines as pineapples, sago and tapioca, spice, neper, peanut kernels, etc. In view of the reported damage to the Australian prune cron some activity is being shown in Californian quotations, nriees for which are attractive, and it ! s anticipated that a consdc-able amount >f business will be covered. Stocks of all local canned r>eas packs »re now cleared, but the nosition win he relieved with th« arrival of a small consienment of fresh canned r»eas from Sydney, expected to land next week. Prices for new season’s of local canned peas are expected to be announced shortly, and it is thought likely the nriees. when rfamed. will show an adva"cP over last year’s. The market for pineanples has advanced sliahtlv over last week’s quotations. Merchants’ storks are reported a« beeonn'nc- depleted, and will he cleared wen before the arrival of the next direct steamer. This week’s cable quo--ations for sney, ar e a shade easier. After having withdrawn quotations for seeded lexias ten davs ago the Australian Dried Fruit Control Board both 1207* and 16oz packets for sbinmcut to this market. These are being ranidlv taken up with an exceptional’y Vf P ,i demand for the Christmas trade \>v crop will not. he available until April. Tn anticipation of the jam season a beavv jnnuirv for spear has set in. and storekeepers would he well advised to fully cover their renuir«ments. as during some dislocation of shipping. The latest information is th*»t the new season's dates will not arrive before the i Bth instant, which will make |t difficult fo r morr'inutp to copmlete pii o f storekeepers’ id»uts before Christmas Tn the meantime the small Si cotes e-f old season’s still available are moving freelv Wholesale Prices Current. Butter—First grade factory, booked lOd. cash 9d; second grad* factory, hooked Sid, cash 7Jd; separator, cash 5%d lb net. Cheese—First grade dairy, 6d; loaf, 7d lb net. Honey—Bulk, 5d 1b net. Bacon —Rolls Is Id. sides 11 Id. rolled sides, hams. Is Id. ham roll? Is 3Jd. cooked ham rolls Is 6id. cooked pressed ham rolls Is Sid lb net. Lard—Bulk 6id. nats 7d lb net. Eggs—First grade iftd, second grade (■farmers’) 9d doz pet. Grain and Produce. The grain and produce market remains quiet and there has been practically no variation in prices since the beginning of the week. Following are nominal prices quoted to be paid to farmers on trucks at country stations, sacks extra unless Wheat, f.o.h.—Tuscan, 3s lid; Hunters, 4s Id; Pearl, 4s 3d. Fowl Wheat.—3s 2d to 3s 3d a bushel. Ryegrass—Perennial, 3s to 3s 4d; Italian and Western Wolths, 3s to 3s 3d. Cocksfoot—-Akaroa, 9d; Plains, fid to 7d. Clovers—White, Is to Is 4d; cow grass. 9d to lOd. Oats—Cartons, Is Pd to Is lOd: Algerians, Is 7d to Is Sd; Duns. Is 9d to 2s a hush el, according to quality. Chaff—£2 7s 6d. Partridge Peas—4s to 4s 3d. Linseed—£l4 a ton. Fruit and Vegetables. The first of the new season’s oranges from Jamaica have reached the market and to-day were realising from 27s fid to 345, according to the count. Strawberries showed a tendency to ease off. and there was an over-supply of tomatoes. The first of the new season’s peaches came to hand this week and realised up to Is 4d a pound. To-lay they had dropped to from 5d to 7d a pound. Quotations are as follows: Tomatoes—No. 1 quality from 5d to 7d lb; Xo. 2 quality from 3d to sd. Cherries—From 3d to 7d lb. Peaches—From fid to 7d lb. Cooseherr'es—2d lb. Strawberries—7d to Is a punnet. Jam strawberries—From fid to 7d a Raspberries—fid a punnet. Jamaica oranges—2 7s 6d to 345. according to count. Local grapes—Up to 2s 91d lb. Asparagus—4d to fid a bundle. I Eggs— About 9d a dozen. Peas—Sd to lid a bag. i Carrots—Sd to Is a dozen bundles, i White turnips—From 8d to Is a dozen. | Lettuces—From to 2s dozen. Cauliflowers—Up to 4s a dozen, ac- | -ording to quality. j Cqbbage. \° V f d ° zen - I Sninnph —fid to 9d‘a dozen. ’ Old potatoes—9d to Is a hag. New potatoes—ld to Itd lb. Onions—Scarce. T*p to 2id lb. Christchurch Skin Sale. The Christchurch Woolbrokers’ Association reports having held the weekly skin sale yesterday. Competition was not. keen and prices eased on last week’s rates. The following is the range of Sound. Faulty. Dry Skins— d. d. Half-bred— Three-quarter to fullwool led $5 6 Ha If-wool led fi.j 4% Short l 3 Three-quarter-bred Three-quarter to full fi 4 Half 4J Cross-bred—-l Three-quarter to full 3J 3 / Half 2 tj ( Hopget— Half-bred _ u Three-quarter-bred . . 33 3 Cross-bred 23 u Pelts—4d to lOd. I Lambs—To Is 6d.