Grocery Review

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 426, 7 August 1928, Page 12

Grocery Review

The Sun Office, August 7, 1928. The wholesale grocery merchants have been fairly busy during the past week, but with the completion of the delivery of the heavy orders for the month, a quieter period will { no doubt be experienced for the next week or two. A FURTHER reduction of 10s a ton in the price of sugar was notified last week and this has resulted in an alteration in the rate charged per bag, the ex-store price being .reduced by 3d a bag. Merchants have also reduce/! their prices of both icing and castor sugar by id a lb. Included in the arrival list last week was a shipment of desiccated coconut which has come to an almost bare market. The Golden Forest, from San Francisco, has landed several lines of Californian dried fruits. A small shipment of salmon just to hand is selling very freely. SARDINES The agents for the packers of King Oscar brisling have been advised that the fishing up to the present has been very poor and it is impossible to name prices for their new season’s pack meantime. Quotations for their brands of smoked sild, which were cabled soipe weeks ago, are now withdrawn temporarily. SALMON Cable advice from Vancouver packers of British Columbia salmon show that the position regarding sockeye is very acute, and the run of this grade in some rivers is practically a failure. This news is rather serious for the trade here, as it is feared that sufficient requirements have not been covered, and the position to-day is that packers have withdrawn quotations for sockeye grade. BEANS A further advance in the London market for Madagascar butter beans has just been cabled, a rise of £2 10s a ton being asked for any further ship--ments of present crop. The acute shortage in Rangoon haricot beans is having the effect of increasing the demand for butter beans, but fortunately the local merchants bought heavily in this grade, consequently stocks should be ample to meet all requirements. COCONUT j The market in Colombo for all packings j or desiccated coconut is now showing a firming tendency, c.i.f.e. quotations for forward shipment being approximately Is a cwt. above the rates ruling a week or two ago. PEPPER Prices for both Muntok and Singapore white pepper continue to decline, a further reduction of 2d a lb. last week resulting in a fair amount of business being booked throughout the Dominion. The direct steamer (Sussex) from, the East, is due to load at Penang on August 8, and at Singapore a few days later, and is expected to arrive here about the second week in September. Freighting from all ports for this vessel has now closed. TAPIOCAS There was practically no change in prices last week, but most buyers had covered for their requirements by the direct boat during the previous two weeks. The present demand on spot is heavy and the new shipments to arrive early next month will be anxiously awaited. PEANUTS Chinese peanuts in shell appear to be all cleared up at source of supply, Tientsin shippers having cabled their agents that nothing further can be offered at present, as they cannot locate stocks. New season’s nuts will not be ready until about October/November, and it is yet too early for quotations to be named. BRAZIL NUTS Prices of all grades of Brazil nuts continue very firm, but local merchants were able to book their supplies some months ago at most favourable ra.tes and the market has since been steadily advancing until prices to-day are over £25 a ton higher than the opening figures. Brazil kernals also show a decided increase in price, the rise just being 3d a lb. above the previous quotations. ALMONDS After steadily advancing for the past two months, a slight weakness in the market for new season’s Jordan almonds was reported, and this has now resulted in lower prices ruling, prices having been reduced by 5s a cwt. for August/September shipment from London. As regards P.G. Sicily almonds, the very high levels which have been reached have had the effect of greatly restricting the orders for new season’s, and according to advice from London there is room for a substantial reduction in quotations, as these have been forced upwards, largely as a result of speculation. ACIDS Following the information given in this column last week regarding acids, it is interesting to note that a rise of £.d per lb in the price of English citric acid has just been cabled, with still higher prices likely to rule. On the other hand, tartaric, acid has been reduced id per lb with lower prices expected during the next few months. OLIVE OIL. Quotations for olive oil have been very firm during the past two months, and from information to hand it was evident that the market was likely to advance. Cables have just been received notifying an advance of 9d per gallon for best quality French olive oil in one gallon tins. SALTPETRE Lower prices are now on offer for Alsatian saltpetre for prompt shipment, values having receded by over £1 per ton. DRIED FRUITS The market in California continues to weaken and quotations for unbleached raisins have declined Is per cwt. for shipment during the next six months. Little alteration has been notified so far in prices for oil and soda-bleached raisins, but there are indications that these.are likely to reach lower levels, as a reduction of Is 3d per cwt. in sodas has just been cabled. Seeded and seedless raisins have also eased in price. Is per 112 cartons being the reduction in both instances. SHELLAC The latest information from Calcutta advises a still firmer market for A.B.T.N. quality, an advance of about 3d per lb. being named for either prompt or November/December shipment. RESIN American resin shows an easier tendency this week, recent reductions being on an average of 15s per ton for both G. and N. qualities.