GRAIN AND PRODUCE

Evening Star, Issue 23687, 21 September 1940, Page 15

GRAIN AND PRODUCE

MILLING WHEAT FINISHED LIMITED DEMAND FOR CHAFF Bray Bros, report that stocks in the stores of last season’s milling wheat have now been cleared, but there is still a fair quantity of fowl wheat available. Plump, dry lines of fowl wheat are saleable at 5s 6d a bushel, sacks extra. Soft and undergrade quality is difficult to place. Wholesale prices for flour are: — Flour.—2oo’s, £l3 5s 6d; 100’s, £l4 I2s: 50’s, £l4 17s 6d; 25's, £ls 7s 6d. Pollard, £6 15s a ton of 2,0001 b. Bran,' £5 5s a ton of 2,0001 b. Oatmeal.—2oolb sacks, £27 14s a ton; 251 b loose, £29 4s; 251 b packed in sacks of eight, £29 14s Oats are meeting with a good demand from all quarters. Values remain unchanged at 4s Bd, f.0.b., s.i., for A Cartons, and 4s 5d to 4s 6d, f.0.b., s.i., for B Cartons. Prices in the country are 3s 9d, sacks extra, for A Cartons and 3s 6d, sacks extra, for b’s. Milling lines are saleable at higher prices than those named above. The demand for chaff remains on the slow side and it is seldom that a buyer can be fouud for a truck load. Most of the business is in small lots at round about £7 a ton, sacks extra, ex store. The potato market continues in a stagnant condition, and there are no signs of an outlet for the heavy supplies available. Few consignments are arriving from the country, as merchants cannot dispose of the stocks they already have. Auckland merchants, in view of the heavy supplies available, are finding it difficult to do business on the basis of the arranged price between merchants of £3 17s 6d a ton, f.0.b., s.i. It would seem that this price will shortly have to be reconsidered. The spell of fine weather has resulted in fair-sized parcels of seed being sent to the country for spring sowing. Markets generally show little change. FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. A fairly quiet week has been experienced in tho fruit markets, with heavier supplies of vegetables coming to hand. Smaller consignments of apples are arriving. The dessert qualities available are Stunners and Delicious. Cooking varieties of good quality are meeting with good inquiry. The last shipment of Soutli Australian oranges has now practically all been disposed of to retailers. Under instructions from tho Internal Marketing Division, the shipment was repacked, and the percentage of wastage was very light. The shipment consisted of exceptionally sweet fruit. The shortage of lemons on the market has now been relieved by a supply of Nw Zealand-grown and a email quantity of Australian-grown, Increased supplies of cut flowers are arriving, witli a satisfactory demand. Ripe bananas have a good inquiry, with supplies short of requirements. Small consignments of New Zealand grapefruit are to hand, and for these the market is firmer. Small consignments of Island tomatoes are coming forward. Fresh vegetables have been in good supply, spring cabbages and cauliflowers realising fair values. Good quality lettuces have a demand at fair values. Other lines of fresh vegetables have a fair inquiry. Carrots and parsnips are still in over-supply and extreme difficulty is being experienced in placing supplies of these. Consignments of rhubarb are increasing and values consequently are lower. There is no change in the values of eggs, with only a fair demand for supplies. Wholesale prices are as follows: Cauliflowers, 2s to 5s a sack. Lettuce, Is 6d to 3s 9d a dozen Carrots, 9d to Is a dozen. Cabbages, 2s to 2s 6d a sack. Onions, 11s a bag. Swedes, Is 3d to Is 6d a bag. Spinach, 2s td 2s 6d a dozen. Asparagus, 3s to 3s fid a lb. Rhubarb, 3s fid to 4s fid a dozen, 3d to 3jd a lb. Eggs, market price. Potatoes, £3 to £4 a ton. Pineapples, 22s fid to 28s a case. Lemons, oranges, bananas, and apples are at Government fixed prices. Tomatoes—Rarolongan, 15s fid to 16s 9d a case; Auckland, 2s to 2s 4d a lb.