PRODUCE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIV, Issue 6, 8 February 1906, Page 13

PRODUCE.

Invercargill Prices Current.— Wholesale— Butter (farm), 6d ; separator, 7d: Butter (factory), pats, Is o£d. Eggs, Is per dozen. Cheese, 6d. Hams, 9d. Barley, 2s to 2s €d. Chafi, £3 5s per ton. Flour, £10 to £11. Oatmeal, £11 10s to £12. Bran, £4. Pollard, £5 10s. Potatoes, j£'7. Retail— Farm butter, 8d ; separator, 9d. Butter (factory), pats, Is 2d. Cheese, .Bd. Eggs, Is 3d per dazen. Bacon, 9d. Hams, lOd. Flour : 2001 b, 22s ; 501 b, 6s ; 25ft, 3s 3d. Oatmeal : 50ft, 7s ; 251 b3s 6d. Pollard, 9s 6d per bag. Bran, ss. Chaff, 2s. Potatoes, 9s per cwt. >' Wellington, February s.— The following cable has been received by the Department of Industries and Commerce from the High Commissioner, dated London, 3rd inst.': 4 The mutton market is very unsettled, River Plate mutton being in large supply. Stocks of New Zealand mutton on hand are light. The average price to-day for Canterbury mutton is 4£d per ft for light weights (of which there is a limited supply), 4d per 1b for heavy weights, and for other and North Island mutton 3fd per ft. The lamb market is quiet, the stock on hand being heavy. This season's New Zealand lamb is quoted at 5d (nominal). The average price of Australian lamb is 4d per Ib. The beef market is very dull. The average price to-day for hindquarters of New Zealand beef ig 3:| d per ft, and for fores 2£d. The quotations for New Zealand beef are nominal. The butter market has collapsed, American renovated and mixtures being in large supply and seriously affecting the market, which is weak. Holders are anxious to sell, but buyers are holding back, expecting prices to go lower. Supplies will be moderate. The prict of choicest New Zealand butter to-day is 106s per cwt, and Danish Ills. The cheese market is quiet, prices being slightly weaker. Transactions in cheese are very limited, New Zealand being quoted at 60s per cwt. The hemp market is firm, light shipments being expected from Manila. The price of New Zealand hemp, " good fair Wellington " grade on spot to-day per ton is £33 10s, and for January to March shipments, £33. Buyers have been offering for cocksfoot seed more freely, and stocks on hand are light. The average price to-day for bright, clean New Zealand cocksfoot seed, weighing 17ft per bushel, is 51s per cwt. 1 Messrs. Donald Reid and Co. (Limited) report :— We held our weekly auction sale of grain and produce at our stores on Monday. Although the attendance' was good, there was only limited competition, and in consequence part of the catalogue had to be passed in for private sale. Values ruled as *under :— Oats.— Since our last report a very limited business has been done. There is little or no inquiry from exporters, and as millers' requirements are just now exceptionally small, almost the only sales being made aro in the direction of feed lines for local use. We quote : Prime milling, 2s to 2s Id ; good to best feed, Is ll£d to 2s ; inferior to medium, Is 9d to Is lid per bushel (sacks extra). Wheat. — There is no new business of any importance to report. Millers are not disposed to operate heavily, and confine their attention for the most part to lines of undeniable condition. Late quotations are practically unchanged, but fowl wheat, being extremely scarce, has a tendency towards better prices. We quote: Prime milling, 3s 5d to 3s 6d ; medium to good, 3s 4d to 3r> 5d ; whole fowl wheat, 3s 2d to 3s 3d ; broken and damaged, 2s lid to 3s Id per bushel (sacks Jcxtra). Potatoes.— The influx of American consignments, combined with heavy arrivals from North Otago, has augmented supplies to such an extent that it has been impossible to maintain late values, and in order to

• 4" "•"* clear consignments considerable reductions have been necessary. We quote : Best freshly-dug lots, £6 to £71 best imported, £4 10s to £6 ; others, £3 to £4 per ton (sacks and cases included). Barley.— The quantity offering is not large, but maltsters are now looking forward to the new crop from northern districts, and the demand for old grain is not keen. We have made several sales of last year's crop on the basis of late quotations. Chaff.— Consignments have not been so heavy of late, but many! local consumers, having already large supplies on hand, are out of the market. In consequence sales are not so readily effected, but prices show little alteration, Prime oaten sheaf continues to find most favor, while lower qualities have little attention. We quote ; Best oaten sheaf, . £3 15s to £3 17s 6d ; choice, to £4 ■ medium to good, £3 5s to £3 12s 6d per ton (bags extra). Pressed Straw.— We quote : Oaten, 42s 6d to 45s • wheaten, 35s to 37s 6d per ton. Messrs, Nimmo and Blair report as follows :— Wheat.— Little or no business has been doing during the past week, millers not caring to operate to any extent. Fowl wheat is scarce and in good demand at quotations. We quote : Prime milling, 3s 5d to 3s 6d ; medium to good, 3s 4d to 3s 5d ; whole fowl wheat, 3s 2d to 3s 3d ; broken and damaged, 2s lid to 3s Id per bushel (sacks extra). Oats.— The majority of the sales passing through are for lots for local consumption ; outside business is quiet. We quote : Prime milling, 2s to 2s Id ; good to best feed, Is ll£d to 2s per bushel (sacks extra). Potatoes.— Notwithstanding the big drop in values supplies continue to arrive in quantities in excess of the demand, and for anything other than good-conditioned Oamarus there ;s but poor demand. We quote : Prime freshly dug O'amarus, from £5 5s to £5 10s ; others, £5 to £5 2s 6d per ton (sacks in). Pigs.— Bacdners, 3id ; overweights, 2d to 2 id • porkers, 3 id to 3|d per ft. Butter.— Dairy, 7\d ; separator, B|d ; imilled, 8d per pound. Eggs.— ln firm demand at Is 3d per dozen. Poultry.— Fair demand. Hens, 2s 6d to 2s 9d ; roosters, 3s to 4s ; ducks, 3s to 4,s per pair ; turkeys, hens, sd, gobblers, 7d (live weight).