PRODUCE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 5, 4 February 1904, Page 13

PRODUCE.

THE AGENT-GENERAL'S REPORT. Wellington, February I.— The Department of Industries and Commerce has received the following cable from the AgenMJeneral, dated London, 30th ult •— 1 Mutton : Market firm at quotations' cabled last week. Lamb : Market quiet. Shipment new season's lamb cxAthenic not yet upon the market. There has been no alteration in the beef market since cabling last week. There is a better demand in the butter market, and a firmer average price. To-day choicest New Zealand butter is' quoted at 97s per cwt. The cheese market in unaltered. The hemp market is firm at quotations cabled last week. There is no change in the cocksfoot market The wool market is firm, with a hardening tendency Prospects are favorable for shipments of apples, with a clear market ' London, January 31. —W00l : The quantity catalogued to date is J1G, 898 bales, and that sold 111,762 bales Prices for merinos were fully maintained, shabbier, crossbreds rather dragging. The following clips were solid : Otago, 9Jd ; Owaka, B^d. Messrs. Kirk and Co. (Limited have received advices from their Home agents that since the wool sales opened on the 19th ult. coarse wools have declined 5 per cent, to 7£ per cent. Sydney, February I.— The concluding week of the local wool sales opened briskly, prices being well sustained. Greasy sold up to lHd, and scoured to Is 7£d. The C.C and D. Company has received the following cable from its London office . ' Frozen meat market —There is an improvement in the \alue of mutton. Quotations : Canterbury mutton, 4|d ; Napier, Wellington, and North Island, 4|d. Lamb . First quality, 5d second, 4|d.' Mr. F. Meenan, King street, Dunedin, reports — Wholesale) prices only— Oats : Milling, Is 5d to Is 6d , feed, lid to Is 5d Wheat : Milling, 2s 9d to 3s 3d , fowl's wheat, 2s 4d to 2s 7d. Potatoes : £2 10s |>er ton. Chaff, £2 5s to £3 5s Straw . Pressed wheat, 30s ; oaten, 35s ; loose, 355. Flour : Sacks, £9 ; 1001 b, £9 10s ; 5011 b, £9 15s , 25ft, £10 Oatmeal, £8 10s. Pollard, £3 10s Bran, £2 10s. Butter : dairy, 8d to lOd ; factory, lid Cheese : factory, sfd ; dairy, s^d. Eggs, Is Id. Onions : Melbourne, £5. Invercargill prices current. — Wholesale — Butter farm, 5d , separator, fid , factory, bulk, l()^d to ll^d , pats, ll£d to ll^d cash. Eggs, lOd per dozen. Cheese, (factory), IS ; , d Hams, 9d Potatoes, £3 per ton (bags weighed in) Barley, 2s to 2s 6d. Chaff, £2 per ton Flour, £9 10s to £10 10s. Oatmeal, £8 to £8 10s Bran £3 Pollaid, £1 Retail. — Farm butter, 7d , separator, 8d , butter (factory), pats, Is Ud Eggs, Is per do/,en Cheese, 8d * Bacon, lid. Hams," lOd. Potatoes, 4s (id per ewt. Flour, 200 ft, 21s ; 501 b, 5s 6d. Oatmeal, 50ft, 5s 6d , 25ft, 2s 6d. Pollard, 7s per bag. Bran, 4s Chaff, Is 6d. Messrs Donald Reid and Co. (Limited) report :— We held our weekly auction sale of grain and produce at our stores on Monday. Our catalogue, which comprised most of the lines usually on offer, met with fair competition from a good attendance of buyers Prices ruled as under — Oaits —During the past week there has been moderate inquiry for good to prime lots of oats suitable for shipment, twit for nearly all classes the demand has not been so strong as that lately experienced We quote Prime milling, Is r>d to Is s^d , good to best feed, Is 4d to Is 4£d , medium and inferior, lOd to Is 3d per bushel (sacks extra). Wheat — Local stocks ot prime milling quality are now much reduced, and meduum sorts have little attention from buyers. Fowl wheat, although not so strongly inquired for, has fair demand at prices a shade below late quotations We quote : Prime milling, 3s to 3s 3d, medium to good, 2s 8d to 2s lid ; whole fowl wheat, 2s 5d to 2s 7d ; broken and damaged, Is lOd to 2s 3d per bushel (sacks extra). Potatoes — The market continues to be over-supplied and shows no improvement in \ allies , indeed, anything but good, freshly-dug lots is only saleable at a reduction in values We quote : Best kidneys, £2 to £2 10s ; others, £1 10s to £1 17s 6d per ton (sacks in). Chaff. — After a dearth of prime quality, the market. has become fully supplied, large consignments of good to prime quality having come forward of late. In the faces of these supplies it has been impossible to maintain

late values, and prices for choice quality have suffered to the extent of about ss, and other sorts to about 10s per ton. Good to prime chaff still has most attention,, medium and inferior being almost without inquiry. We q^uote : Prime oaten sheaf, £2 15s to £3 ; medium to good, £2 5s to £2 12s 6d ; inferior, £1 10s ta £2 per ton (bags extra). Pressed Straw I.—Moderate1 .— Moderate supplies coming forward, which meet with fair demand at 27s 6d to 30s per ton. Messrs. Stronach, Morris, and Co. report as follows : Wheat —Millers are still only buying good samples in smatll quantities. In other lines there is very littlei doing. Prime milling, 3s to 3s 3d ; medium to good, 2s 7d to 2s lid ; best whole fowl wheat, 2s 5d to 2s tSJ ; broken and inferior, Is lOd to 2s 3d. Oats.— Buyers are not so keen to do business, and the market is a shade easier. Prime milling, Is 4-^d to Is s|d , good to best feed, Is 3Ad to Is 4£ ; inferior to medium, lOd tojls 2J. Potatoes. — The supply continue large and valuesi ha\e fallen very considerably, only best samples being easily sold Best kidneys are now worth £2 to £2 10s ; medium, £1 10s to £1 17s 6d. Chaff.— Very 'large consignments have come forward; lately and prices have come back in consequence. Prime oaten sheaf is saleable at £2 15s to £3, but medium is haid to sell at £2s 5s to £2 12s 6d. Inferior is nominally only worth £1 10 to £2. Straw.— Commands 25s to 30s.