DUNEDIN MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 4031, 16 June 1931, Page 16

DUNEDIN MARKETS.

WHEAT, OATS, ETC. Friday Evening. Offerings of wheat from the country during the past week have shown signs of falling off. The long spell of dry weather has enabled farmers to thresh out of the stack without interruption, and the bulk of samples are now in the market. There are still some lines to come, but most of these are accounted for by the decision of some farmers to hold off till the spring on account of the grain having to be held in stack to allow it to harden up in condition. There has been no appreciable alteration in market conditions. Tuscan is still hard to secure,, and those samples that are available are easily placed with millers. Red chaff is in a similar position, but preference is shown for the former variety. Values for Tuscan aro 5s lOd, f.0.b., sacks extra, while 6s is being paid for Hunters. The equivalent price for the above is arrived at by a deduction of the f.o.b. charges and the railage from loading stations. The fowl wheat market is quiet. The larger percentage this year of undergrade wheat has caused a glut in fowl wheat. Stores contain heavy supplies, and the demand locally and for shipment is small. This has caused a decline in values, with the result that good fowl wheat is selling at 4s 9d, sacks extra, ex store. Not a few lines lacking the quality of good whole fowl wheat are selling below that rate.

Pi esent indications point to very heavy sowing out for the coming season. Farmers are already taking delivery of seed wheat for autumn sowing, ’and advantage is being taken of the drv weather to prepare the ground for sowing. In many cases sowing operations have already been completed. Millers’ prices for flour, etc., are as follow:— Flour: 2001 b. £l7 ss; 100’s, £lB ss; 50's, £lB 10s; 25’e, £l9. Bran, £5 10s per ton. . Pollard. £6 per ton. Oatmeal: 2001 b. £2l; 25’s, £23. The oat market is lifeless, practically no business passing. Offerings from the country are light and there is no inquiry for shipment. The millers, having secured a good proportion of their requirements, are not so keen to operate. Heavy Gartons are worth 2s 3d, sacks extra, on trucks, while ordinary A’s are selling at 2s 2d, with B’s fetching 2d a bushel less. Damp weather conditions early caused discolouration in some samples and these have been classed as undergrade, valued at Is lOd, sacks extra, ou trucks, at country sidings. The demand for chaff is purely local, and sales are confined to small quantities, ex store. The bulk' of the supplies are arriving from Canterbury and these have been sold in ton lots at £4 10s per ton, sacks extra, ex store. It is almost impossible to find buyers for truck loads, and in order to effect sales, ex truck, £4 and £4 2s 6d, sacks extra, has to be accepted. Shipping values are stil] down and there is small prospect of any improvement. This means that there will be no shipments from this port, as local values are too high to compete with those ruling in Canterbury and Blenheim. The quantity of table potatoes available for the market is far in excess of requirements, and the position has been aggravated by the fact that growers have been taking advantage of the favourable weather to push on digging operations. The bulk of the potatoes lifted have been sent on to the market and as a result stores are carrying exceptionally large stocks for this time of the year. Sales cannot be effected even at reduced prices, with the result that quotations are only nominal. The highest figure ruling for choice lines is £3 10s per ton, sacks extra. Reports from northern centres and also from the North Island indicate that the markets there are experiencing the same conditions as obtain in the local market. The seed market is usually very quiet at this time of the year, and the present season is by no means an exception to the general rule. Very little business is passing in any lines, but markets remain steady with values considerably lower than has been the case for a number of years. It is freely reported that sowing out will be considerably reduced as a result of tlje poor purchasing power of the farmer, and it is consequently very likely that the retail spring trade will be on the light side.

Produce lines are quoted wholesale as follow: — Chaff: Good quality, £4 10s per ton, ex store, Dunedin, sacks extra. Potatoes: Best quality, £3 10s per ton. Dairy butterU Milled bulk, lOd to lid per lb; separator pats, lOd, Bacon, lid per lb.

Hams: Ordinary, UJd; boneless, Is OAd per lb. Onions: Canterbury, 8s per cwt. Eggs: Stamped, 2s; case, Is lid. Pullets' eggs, Is 9d per dozen. Eggs were reduced Id per dozen during the week. FRUIT REPORT. * ■Apples have been in shorter supply during the week, and prices as a result have been a little firmer. lhe market for pears is glutted at present, ana only choice lines are saleable. tile best quality are commanding only very low rates. Growers would be well advised to refrain from consigning poor quality pears to the market in the meantime. Samoan bananas arrived during the week ex the Maui Pomare. They opened up in first-class condition, and were readily taken up. Oranges are in heavy supply at the present time, and are selling at much lower prices. The lemon market is also much easier. The Waikouaiti arrived during the T eek with supplies of melons, mandarins, pines, and lemons, and navels All lines were taken up promptly with the exception of navels, which are selling at values considerably lower than those ruling for the previous shipment. No further’ consignments of citrus fruits are expected until the arrival of the Wainui on Tnpg. day week. A few tomatoes are still offering, ruling values being very satisfactory. There are also. a few quinces about, but the qualitj’ is mostly poor. Cauliflowers are in shorter supply, with prices firmer, but all other vegetables are in good supply, with prices low Wholesale prices are as follow:— Apples: Delicious, 6s 6d to 8s 6d per case; Jonathans, 6s to 7s 6d; Cleopatras, 5s 6d to 7s; cookers, 4s 6d to 5s 6d. Bananas: Ripe, 20s; Samoan green, 19s to 225. Oranges: Island, 12s to 14s; navels, 14s to 17s. Lemons: Australian, 17s to 18s ease. Fears: Winter Coles, Is to 2s per halfcase; small, unasaleable; cookers, 2s. Tomatoes: Choice well coloured, 4d to 6d; others. Id to 3d; local hothouse. 8d to 10-ld per lb. Quinces, 5s to 6s per bushel case. Local grapes, Gros Colmars, to 2s 2d. Fines, 18s to 20s. Mandarins, 12s 6d to 16s. Fassions: North Island, 5s to 6s per case. Cauliflowers: Choice, 5s to 6s per sack; ethers, Is to 2s. Pie melons: Australian, 12s to 14s per cwt. Celery: Choice, 6d per head; others. Cd per bundle. Cabbages, 2s to 3s per sack of 18. Lettuce: Choice .to 2s per dozen; others unsaleable. Potatoes, 4s per cwt. Rhubarb, to 4s per dozen bunches. Swedes, 2s per cental bag. Carrots, to 2s 6d per sugar bag. Parsnips, 2s 6d per sugar bag.

MERCHANDISE MARKET. Saturday Morning. The Huntingdon, due here shortly, will be landing supplies of bicarbonate of soda in lewt kegs and 2cwt sacks. This vessel will also bring other merchandise lines. K assorted canned fruits —apricots, peaches, and pears—are now available. Three-in-one oil, just landed, shows a sharp increase in price. A small shipment of shelled waluuts (in pieces) was landed ex the "Waikouaiti. Prices show a sharp increase. A further shipment of shelled walnuts came forward ex the Waikouaiti. The same vessel also brought considerable quantities of tea, transhipped at Sydney. The Waimarino will land a cargo of sugar to-morrow. She will be followed by the Waipiata. due on June 24. The prices of all grades of sugar, syrup, and treacle have been reduced 5s per ton as from June 12.