COMMERCIAL.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11481, 14 January 1903, Page 9

COMMERCIAL.

GRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

(BY OTTB COMMERCIAL EDITOB.)

Tuesday Evening. For some years, in Sydney and Queensland, says the Sydney "Town and Country Journal" of December 31st, where Manitoba flour came first in full vogue with bakers in this hemisphere, it was common to find the Sydney and Brisbane prices for Manitoba, flour £3 or £4, or even more, per ttm higher than the prices of-New South Wales and Queensland flours. To-day, there -is a ddffeivnce of <rolv ten fiMllings per ton between Manitoba flour in Sydney, at £12 10s for trade lots, and Sydney roller flour, at £12. An even more striking; example of the new condition of things is cabled from Wellington (N.Z.). •whore Manitoba flour is quoted at £13 15s, whereas the iocal (New Zealand) flour is £14, or 5s per ton d*arer- It is evident that, not-withstanding the manner in which tha prices are approximating in Sydney, the Australian flows will hold their own with bitkers in qiu-st of efficient, ingredients for colour and flavour. The Manitoba flour holds the pride of place for strength, but is not independent of the Australian and Californian.

There is a great <lraw on Adelaide by Melbourne, Sydney, and Queensland, for South Australian new crop, which is at a Sydney landing cost of about 5s New Sooth Wale* fepun «• zefmniut 5* 8d to

5s 10d on country railway station for New South Wales wheat, and those who have crops to sell should hold for seed prices, which are usually 4d to 5d per bushel above what the country or Sydney millers can offer. &Ed values for clean samples on New South Wales country railway station are about 6s to 6s 2d. In fact, the New South Wales country millers ore net reckoning to any extent on getting local wheat, but have " been making arrangements to buy largely from Sydney importers, ray, for ■example, at 5s 4d in Sydney for Californian (soft) wheat' (choice milling quality) on tracks Darling Harbour, plus railway freight of about 4d. Then, allowing for a difference of 2d in quality, and a difference of a penny ia value vi bags, this brings the country district cost to 5s lid to 6*. The imported Manitoba (hard) wheat will cost about 3d more to the New .South Wales country miller. The Australian bags are big', and worth 4d each; but the Californiaii bags are small, i.nd worth barely 6d per doz..-n. The 1o«k of -wheat in transit in the thin Califoniian bags is a consideration.

Pollard is very scarce in Sydney, as the metropolitan wills are woiking .short time, an.l in.uiy of the Xtw .South Wales country m'-.llii are stili shut down, waiting for .Hip-plie-a of wheat. Theiv is every indication of higher pritvs for mill oifal. Tlie demand from the coastal and other distiicts will be as keen as in former yeais, and dairymen, poult t-rers. and farmera .yen-enidy iannu<t. depend on the country mills for full fcuppli<vs of either bran w p;>lhrd.

The nuiize crop in Queensland this season promises to be a record one. Since the failure of the wheat crop, fanners have turned to a niaizu crop as a secondary means of securing revenue from the land. The consequence is that probably a larger area., is under crop than ever before in Queensland. And the plants everywhere have a. remarkably healthy appearance, and give every indication of a record yield.

~nere is nothing fresh to record in the local grain markets, and business is practically at a standstill till the new crop makes its appearance. The weather is still unsettled, and hailstorms in several districts have done novae, damage, the most serious being at Cheviot last Saturday, where several promising paddocks of wheat and oats were completely cut down. No wheat is changing hands, and oats are reported to be easier. The following are the current prices paid to fanners, free of commission, except where otherwise specified: — Wheat—Hunter's, Tuscan and Pearl, 5? to ss> 3d at country etations. Gats (nominal)— Long feed 2s 6d to 2s 7d, Hhort feed 2s 7d to 2s Bd, milling Canadians 2s 8d to 2s 9d, at country stations. Barley (nominal)— Feed Zs to 3s Id, at country stations. Flour (millers' quotations)— Roller, £13 per ton. Pollard—£6 103. Bran.—£6. Oatmeal—£l4 10s. Oatslieaf Chaff—£4 2s 6d per ton, at country stations. s Dairy Produce—Cheese, factory, 5d to 6d, dairy sd; butter, factory, local, 10£ d; North Island, lid, tf.o.b. Wellington; daily, 8d to 9d for prime; salt (in boxes), 7d to 8d; hams and bacon, 9d to 10d; factory hams and bacon, £d higher, f.o.b.