PRODUCE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 4, 28 January 1904, Page 13

PRODUCE.

THE AGENT-GENERAL'S REPORT. _ Wellington, January 21 The Department of Industries and Commerce has received the following cablegram from the Agent-General, dated London, 20th mst ' There is great competition and plentyof buyers are present at the wool sales. Prices current at the close of last series for merinos and all grades of fine crossbreds were well maintained. An advance has been established on all grades of medium crossbreds of a halfpenny per ft, and on all grades of coarse crossbreds of three-far-things per Ib. THE AGENT-GENERAL'S REPORT. Wellington, January 25.— The Department of Industries and Commerce has received thee'.following cablegram from the Agent-general, dated London, January 24.— Frozen Meat : The mutton market is quiet. There is a scarcity of prime quality stocks generally, and those on hand are light and firmly held in a few hands.. The average price to-day was .— Canterbury brands, 4^d per ft ; Dunedin and Southland and W.M.E. Company's brands, 4^d-; other North Island brands, 4£d, Australian, 3fd ; River Plate, 3|d. Lamb is dull of sale, and many carcases are stale. The New Zealand stocks on hand are light, and the prices quoted nominal, the average prices being : Hindquarters, 3£d ; fores, 2£d. Butter is steady, with signs of improvement in prices The averages of choicest New Zealand to-day realised 95s per cwt , Australian and Argentine, 92 ; Danish, 1995. Cheese is quiet, the average price for the finest New Zealand being 525. Hemp is firm in price ; good fair Wellington grade, on spot, £32 10s. Cocksfoot is quiet. Buyers are not keen to do business The average price for bnght, clean New Zealand, weighing 171 b to the bushel, on spot, is 525. Wool is firm at the advance cabled early this week Hops are firm with an upward tendency. Supplies are limited , current price, 140s per cwt Prospects are favorable for next year. Invercargill prices current.— Wholesale — Butter farm, 6d ; separator, 7d ; factory, bulk, 10|d to ll^d ; pats, ll£d to ll|d cash Eggs, lOd per dozen. Cheese, (factory), 6^d Hams, 9d. Potatoes, £4 per ton (bags weighed in) Barley, 2s to 2s 6d Chafi, £2 per ton. Flour, £9 10s to £10 10s. Oatmeal, £8 to £8 10s Bran £3. Pollard, £4 Retail.— Farm butter, 8d ; separator, 9d , butter (factory), pats, Is l£d. Eggs, Is- per dozen. Cheese, 8d Bacon, lid Hams, lOd. Potatoes, 5s 6d per cwt Flour, 200 ft, 21s ; 501 b, 5s 6d. Oatmeal, 50ft, 5s Gd , 251 b, 2s 6d. Pollard, 7s per bag. Bran, 4s. Chaff, Is Gd. Mr. F. Meenan, King street, Dunedin, reports •— WholesaJe prices only— Oats : Milling, Is 4d to Is 6d •, feed, lid to Is 3d. Wheat : Milling, 2s 9d to 3s 7d , fowl's wheat, 2s 4d to 2s 7d. Potatoes : £2 10s |>er ton Chaff, £2 ss. to £3 ss. Straw . Pressed wheat, 30s ; oaten, 35s ; loose, 355. Flour : Sacks, £9 , 1001 b, £9 10s ; 501 b, £9 15s ,• 251 b£9 15s Oatmeal, £8 10s Pollard, £3 19s Bran, £2 10s Butter . dairy, 8d to lOd , factory, lid Cheese • factory, 6d ; dairy, s|d Eggs, Is. Onions : Melbourne, £5. Messrs Donald Reid and Co. (Limited) report :— We held our weekly auction sale of grain and produce at our stores on Monday, when we submitted an average catalogue of oats, wheat, barley, and potatoes, with a large otlenng of chaff There was a good attendance of buyers, and with fair competition most of the lots on otter were cleared at valuations. Values ruled as under — Oats. — Local stocks are made up almost entirely of medium to fair quality, for which there is little mtfluiry. Prime, sound, bright feed lots are not offering freely, and are in good demand at quotations. Prime milling sorts — Sutherlands preferred — also have some attention Quotations Prime milling, Is 5d to Is 6d ; good to best feed, Is 4d to Is 5d , inferior to medium, lOd to Is 2d per bushel (sacks extra). Wheat. — Millers." requirements are almost entirely confined to choice lines. Of these there are few on offer Local stocks are chiefly of medium quality. Fowl wheat, is in shorter supply, and meets with ready sale. Quotations : Prime milling, 3s to 3s 3d , medium to good, 2s 8d to 2s lid ; best whole fowl wheat, 2s 5d to 2s 7d ;

brokea and damaged, Is lOd to 2s 3d per bushel (sacks extra) . Potatoes.— The market has been heavily supplied during the past week, and prices have suffered a decided decline. Quotations : Prime kidneys,s£2 to £2 10s ; others, £1 10s to £2 per ton (bags in). Chaff.—Alter a dearth of prime chaff, the market has suddenly became fully supplied with oaten sheaf of good to prime quality. We offered over 60 tons, nearly all good to prime. Best quality had most competition, and realised prices almost on a par with late values, but for good ordinary sorts the demand was not so keen, and in order to clear consignments lower values had to be accepted. Quotations : Best oaten sheaf, £2 17s 6d to £3 2s 6d ; medium to good, £2 5s to £2 12s 6d ; light and inferior, £1 10s to £2 per ton (bags extra). Pressed Straw.— This is in' short supply, and has good inquiry at 27s 6d to 30s per ton for good, bright quality.