GRAIN AND PRODUCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 226, 24 September 1929, Page 4

GRAIN AND PRODUCE.

POTATOES A PUZZLE. BIG QUANTITIES ON HAND. BUT DEARER THAN LAST WEEK. "It is hard to put a price on potatoes at the present time," said a local merchant to a " Star " reporter to-day. He explained tnat there was something of an anomaly in the present market position. Harbour Board and merchant's stores are full of consignments from the south, but the owners are asserting considerable firmness with the result that -there is no chance of buying at low rates. At the present time from £10 to £10 5/ per ton ex store, a rise of 10/ in the week, is as near as one can get to valuation. Seed potatoes are going out in fair quantity as the weather is now quite suitable for planting. Gamekeepers and other main varieties are selling' at 8/6 per cwt. Onions Scarce. Just at the moment onions. are very scarce. Japanese are now definitely off the market, and the small quantities of Californian and Canadian which arrived recently were quickly snapped up. They are now worth at least 20/ a crate. However fresh shipments in larger quantities will soon come to hand when the price will revert to 17/6. Oats and Chaff. There has been no change in the prices either of oats or chaff. A shipment of Tasmanian chaff is expected next week, but merchants fear that there will be a substantial.shortage on the quantities they ordered. This will sell cheaper than the southern, and is preferred by local users. ■ Wheat. Local wheat price remains firm at 7/9 per bushel ex' store, but It looks as though there will be an advance shortly as the southern pool is forcing the price up to 6/ f.o.b. for November-December delivery. Some forward buying has been done at this figure; Maize'. There is ample maize offering just now from the Bay of Plenty, and an excel•lent demand continues. The Gisbome position seems a little weaker. Pollard and Bran. Pollard supplies are satisfactory, but bran is almost unprocurable. Some was landed from Australia, but cost to the consumer above £10 a ton, while leaving little to the importer, ,is virtually prohibitive. The present shortage of bran emphasises the fact that with modern milling machinery a much larger percentage of grain is used as flour and pollard, to the detriment, of bran supplies. Wholesale Current Prices. Pollard and Bran.—Mill prices: Pollard, £9 10/ per ton'; bran, £8 per ton. Merchants' quotations, ex store-: Southern, £10 10/; Australian pollard, £11; bran, £9 to £10. , ■ , Oats.—Feed: B Gartons, 4/9 per bushel; A Gartons, 5,; clipped Dunns, 6/3 to 6/6; clipped Algerians, 5/9; clipped Gartons, 5/3. Fowl Wheat.—7/9 per bushel. Maize.—6/6 per bushel. Barley.—Feed, 5/9 per bushel. Seed: Cape barl.ey, 6/b per bushel. Maize Meal.—l 4/6 per 1001b. Barley Meal.-13/ per 1001b. Vhaff.—G.b.o.s., £10 10/ per ton, Blenvoiiw* Cant ,erbury; Tasmanian, £9 5/ to *9 10/, ex wharf, to arrive. ,*ffir£r£T 9 Canterbury. £10 to Onions.—Canadian, 20/ per cwt.