Commercial CITY MARKETS

Southland Times, Issue 24887, 29 October 1942, Page 2

Commercial CITY MARKETS

Wheat Crop For 1944

Wintry conditions prevailed throughout the whole of Southland during the past week and retarded cultivation. Wheat.—A large acreage is still being asked for in 1944 and instructions from the Wheat Controller are that growers are to be asked to sign contracts for 12 months ahead so that the Government will know in advance the area likely to be sown in 1944. Oats.—The market remains quiet. There are still fairly large quantities in farmers’ hands and it is difficult to find an outlet at the moment.

Seeds.—Wholesale business has been very quiet with the exception of a little trading in browntop. The. ryegrass market is dead with prices a shade cheaper throughout the South Island. Potatoes.—Spot stocks of table potatoes are in very short compass and seed supplies are about exhausted. Local stocks of apples are getting low and future supplies will have to be rationed among the retailers. Pears are practically finished, although one more shipment may come to hand. A small shipment of Fiji bananas arrived towards last week-end and was rationed among the trade. Supplies of hothouse tomatoes are increasing and prices have a tendency to drop. There is a good demand for fresh vegetables. Values are:—Hothouse tomatoes, 2/4 to 3/- per lb; lettuce, 2/6 to 7/6 a dozen according to size; cabbage, 2/6 to 3/6 a bag; cauliflowers, 6/to 9/- a sack.

EGGS AND SEPARATOR BUTTER The Master Grocers’ Association quoted egg prices yesterday as follows:—Wholesale, country 1/3 a dozen; city, 1/4; retail, country 1/5; city 1/6. Separator butter: Wholesale, lOd to 1/per lb; retail, 1/- to 1/2. BURNSIDE STOCK SALE (P.A.) DUNEDIN, October 28. At today’s Burnside market all the entries were of normal size. The beef entry was made up mostly of medium quality and any lots of prime quality met with a ready sale. There was a general improvement in price for oxen, which were better by £1 to. 25/— a head. Cows and heifers remained firm at last week’s rates. The top price for bullocks was £27/7/6, for cows £l6 7/6, and for heifers £l5/2/6. The sheep entry, comprising mainly ewes, maintained last week’s values in the early stages, but as the sale progressed there was a decided easing tendency. The best woolly wethers made up to 49/6, the best shorn wethers to 39/6, prime young ewes to 45/6. Spring lambs were forward in larger number, about 140 coming to hand. The larger entry made some little difference to the sale, but competition was keen. The top prices were barely as firm as last week’s. Best quality made 45/-, medium fetching 34/- to 37/-. Baconers made up to £7/13/-, a record since the last war. A number of pens made £7 and over. Best quality porkers made to £5 and medium £3 15/- to £4/10/-. ADDINGTON MARKET (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 28. The store sheep entry totalled about 1700 at Addington today. Because of the improved feed conditions the demand far exceeded the supply. In consequence prices, especially for woolly ewes and lambs, showed an advance of up to 2/- a head. The highest price for ewes and lambs was 19/6, all counted, and others sold at from 15/5 to 17/5. Ewe hoggets realized up to 35/6, one pen of 213 halfbreds making 32/-. Woolly wethers of mixed ages made 23/5. There was keen competition for the few shorn sheep, two-tooth wethers making up to 27/3. Four and six-tooth wethers sold for 29/-. The fat sheep yarding was about 4000, the same as last week. It comprised mostly shorn sheep. Some good lines of shorn wethers were forward and sold at prices well up to recent rates, but there was a preponderance of medium to inferior quality sheep which dropped in value, many being passed. Two truck lots of shorn, southern wethers met keen competition. One truck of 54 sold from 40/7 to 41/4, averaging 41/-, and another of 54 made from 40/1 to 42/10, averaging 42/3. Woolly sheep were not much sought after. The top price for ewes was 41/7, but generally the entry of woolly sheep was of unattractive quality. Fat cattle again met with keen competition, and although there was a slight easing of about 15/- a head prices were still on a high level. The best beef made from 52/- to 54/- per 1001 b, some to 56/-, medium to good 47/- to 51/-, ordinary 42/- to 46/-, inferior, down to 35/-. One line of 16 steers averaged £26/17/6, the top pen making £27/12/6. Another truck lot of eight averaged £2l/15/-. A draft .of 20 steers averaged £2l/2/6, and another of eight £23/7/6. GILLESPIE’S BEACH (P.A.) DUNEDIN, October 28. Gillespie’s Beach return was 240 z 2dwt for 131 hours. STOCK EXCHANGES CHRISTCHURCH.—SaIes reported: 3 p.c. Inscribed 1952-55 Stock £99/10/-; Union Bank of Australia £7/5/-. AUCKLAND.—SaIes: Howard Smith £1 l/ioti: Kalapoi 18/9; Broken Hill Proprietary £l/19/3; Abraham and Williams (stock) £7O; New Zealand Insurance £3/13/3; Farmers’ Trading £l/1/9; 1.C.1. £l/4/6; Peter’s Ice 11/-; Mount Lyell £l/8/-; Inscribed Stock 1943-46 £lOO/10/-; City of Auckland 1944-67 £lOl/15/-; South British Insurance £3/3/9; Westport £l/5/3; Dominion Fertilizer £l/0/10; Arahura £l/6/9; National Insurance £l/1/3. DUNEDIN. —Sales reported: New Zealand Paper Mills (late Tuesday) £l/14/9; Imperial Chemicals (pref.) £l/4/6; Union Bank £7/5/-; Bruce Woollen (ord.) £l/5/3; Dominion Fertilizer £l/5/-; Westport £l/5/6; Otago Daily Times £2.