COMMERCIAL.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11508, 14 February 1903, Page 9

COMMERCIAL.

GRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKETS. (BT OtJB COMHEKCIAL EDITOB.) Friday Evening. Australian advices state that eeveral irther arrivals of American wheat and our have taken place in Sydney. The Ilaverdon arrived on January 28th from Jan Francieco with 112,488 bushels of rheat, and the equivalent of 7500 sacks f flour. The Celtic Chief arrived from lan Francisco on January 30th with 3,567 bushels of wheat. Tbe Blytnewood rrived from San Francwcoon the Ist met., fter a fast passage of forty-Bye daye," rith a full cargo of flour, equivalent to :6,800 bushels. The s.e. Sonoma brought 50 sacks of wheat and 200 eacks of flour, "he New South Wales Government n&e (urchaeed 200,000 bushel* of eeed wheat n South Australia for distribution among armere, and it is reported by cable that * thousand applications have already been weived for the need, tbe applications soming in at the Tate of one hundred wr day. It is estimated that the South iusbrauan crop of wheat will yieta ,800,000 trasbols, being an exportable surplus of 130,000 tons. is reported that Argentine wheat has bwn offered at. beween 5s lid to *» c.i.f., Sydney, and if my quantity comes forward from that quarter, it may interfere with the probible market there may be in Sydney for ioft wheats from New Zealand. A ehipment of 19,000 bushele of wheat Uid 73,000 bushels of barley lias arrived it Melbourne froni San Francisco, being ,he first foreign ehipment in many years, rhe wheat market in Melbourne has renamed firm, but business in South Australian or Victorian wheat hoe been ie itricted. owing to the small supply offering. Victorian is worth up to 6« 3d for prime, but meet of t-ue Victorian wheat mi the market is from ihe temperate districts, and as only saleable at lower prices. The preliminary estimates of the New Sealwid grain crops for threshing have been published by the Government. The area if wheat is 194,355 acres, estimated to rield 28 'bushels per acre, making a total sstimated yiedd of 5,441,940 bushels. Oats, 183,659 acres, estimated to yield 35 bushels mi acre, or a wrtal estimated j'ield of 16,928,065 'bushels. Barley,. 27,921 acres, estimated to yield 37 bushels en acre, making a total estimated yield of 1,033,077 bushels. These figure* are only approximate, and cannot, therefore, be taken as v. safe estimate upon whioh to base supplies for the coming year. If the harvest ie successful, it js probable that the yields of wheat and owtfl will be larger than is now eet down. If, however, the yieW of wheat is not larger than is estimated, there does not appear as if there would be an exportable surplus, as the annual requiiemente of the colony for consumption and peed are estimated at about 5,400,000 bushels. On this basis a ehortage was anticipated after the threshing returns were available this last year, but there w still sufficient on Land to meet requiremente till the new crop is in, though the harvest is fully a month late. Too much reliance must not, therefore, be placed upon the preliminary estimates. There are no further sales of old wheat to record, but two transactions io new grain are reported. One email lot of pearl has been purchased ob a littte over Hβ at a country station for shipment to the North Island next week, the price depending upon prompt delivery. Another line of pearl bos been bought at 4s at a country station for Starch delivery. The oato market Jβ rather easier in consequence of the difficulty in getting delivery of early purchased lines, especially of short feed, required for ehipment to Australia. Shippers are also said to be meeting with eoine trouble in getting oats passed that have been shipped to oydney, the quality not being up to expectations. Several lines have been purdhased during the week, long feed especially being very plentiful. The "Australasian" states that the Melbourne market for Algerian oate his shown a weakening tendency as regards all but prime eeed samples. New Zealand new crops ©ate for forward] delivery offering at. moderate prices, and as the supply of Algerian milling oate is not large, the oatmeal manufacturere have been buying New Zealand oate for delivery about March. A cable message received in Christchurch on Wednesday ?totee that the oats market in Melbourne is easier. Barley is not offering very freely, as holders are not. yet prepared to accept the prices offered. Several lines of prune malting ihave been token during the week, including one lot of 1300 bushels at 3* 4d at country stations. Ryegrass is reported to be very irregular in quality, and all eorte of prices from Iβ 9d to 2s 6d per bushel are eaid to have been paid. No Peninsula-grown cocksfoot Jβ yet on the market, but several odd lots from the Plains have been purchaeed at Id to' 3id per lb. The following are the current prices paid to fanners, free of commission, except where otherwise' specified: — Wheat (old) (nominal)— Hunter's Tuscan, and Pearl, 4s 7d to 4» 9d,at country stations; new Pearl wheat, 4s at country station*. Otute (new)— Milling, 2s"; ehort feed, U 10d to Iβ lid; Dune, Iβ 8d to Is 9d; Danish, Is 8d to la 9d, at country «tatione, for early delivery. Barley—Prime malting, 3s 3d to 3s 4d; Cape, 2s 6d, at country etatione. Flour (millers' quotations)— Roller, £12 per ton. Pollard—£6 10s. Bran—£6. Oatmeal—£l4 10*. Ryegrass— Well dressed farmers' parcels, 2s and 2s 6d; Italian ryegrass 3* to 3s 3d; cocksfoot, 3d to 3£d per lb,delivered. Dairy Produce—Cheese, factory, 5d to 6d, dairy 6d; .butter .factory, local, lCtyd; North Island, lid, f.0.b., Wellington; farmere , separator, 9d; dairy, 8d to 9d for prime; salt (in 'boxes), 7<l to 8d; -flame and bacon, 9d to 10d; factory ham* and bacon, id higher, f.o.b. Messrs DalgeEy and Company, Limited, have received the following cable message from their London under date February 12th: — "The market for frozen mutton and lamb is quiet, and prices are unchanged. Prime New Zealand frozen beef is worth 4d to per lb for hind-quarterq, and 3d p«r ib for fore-quartern; Queensland beef 3d per lb for hfind-quarter*, end 2±d per ib far forequarters. •