Grocery Review

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 586, 12 February 1929, Page 12

Grocery Review

The Sun Office

February 12, 1929. Trade is usually on the quiet side at this period of the month, but it is pleasing to record that the wholesale grocery merchants have been exceptionally busy during the past week. ] CURING the past few weeks there has been a very strong demand for sugar (price of which has been reduced by 10s a ton), for with fruit selling so cheaply more attention has been paid to preserving and jammaking than is usual. A steady inquiry still continues for fruit ~ jars, jam and jelly jars, rubber rings, etc., and sales in spices and cloves also show improvement.

Considerable quantities of tapiocas, pineapples, peppers and spices will be delivered this week from the wharf ex Waiotapu. The Hororata and Westmoreland, due to arrive at the end of the week, are both carrying heavy cargoes of foodstuffs for this market. On account of the attractive prices on offer for Rangoon rice, to arrive by the April direct steamer, a fair amount of early bookings has been made by the retail trade, but forward business generally is rather quiet. SALMON

Cables have been received by agents from both Canadian and Siberian shippers stating that stocks of pink and sockeye grades of salmon are rapidly diminishing. MUTTON BIRDS

Prices for the new catch of Tasmanian mutton birds will not be named until March, but present indications point to these being about the same as last year. It is stated, however, that owing to heavy rains, many of the young birds were drowned in the nests; also that the Tasmanian Government intends to restrict the season to five weeks instead of six, as in former years. There is also a great scarcity of casks used in packing; consequently it would not occasion surprise to see higher rates before the season is very far advanced. PEANUTS

The market for Chinese peanuts in shell is again showing a firming tendency, the latest c.i.f. rates for prompt shipment being 10s a ton above the prices previously quoted. KERNELS

Cables from Samarang advise that the market for peanut kernels is still very firm, but unchanged, and owing to recent damage by rain and the delay in harvesting the middle crop, further quantities will not be available for shipment until March. ALMONDS As was anticipated, prices quoted for the present crop of Sicily almonds were not favourable to buyers, and a further reduction of £5 a ton was cabled last week. Quotations for the new crop for shipment in September-October have also declined in about the same ratio. NUTS Sicilian filberts were advanced £4 a ton this week for shipment in August next, with higher rates probable, while Spanish barcelonas are again higher, a further increase of £1 a ton for August shipment bringing prices to about the same level as filberts. Business booked in Chinese walnut meat at the lower rates offered last week was not accepted, and the market in Tientsin at present is stated to be much firmer, with higher prices bound to rule during the rest of the season. Practically no business has been booked in French walnut halves this year. PRUNES Latest advice from San Francisco Is to the effect that all the large-sized prunes have advanced over Jd a lb, with higher rates likely to rule before long. On the other hand, the small sizes—7o-80, 80-90, and 90-100’s—have been reduced by Is a cwt, which would indicate that the heavy demand is for the larger sizes and that it is getting harder to dispose of the small fruit. This is exactly the state of the local market, where the cheap prices offering in prunes during the past 12 months have given the public the opportunity of buying the best grades at favourable rates. PEPPER Higher prices are again ruling for all grades of pepper, and advices from Singapore state that although the crops have already been harvested in the Laml'ong, Muntok and other producing areas, and stocks are about normal, the world’s demand is still in excess of the supply. SPICES Quotations for nutmegs, mace and pimento are still soaring and there seems little prospect of lower offers being made for some time, as all reports bear out the information recently cabled that stocks are exceedingly short at origin. With the strong demand for Zanzibar cloves now in evidence, stocks are getting short and higher rates are being quoted for the limited quantities available. OLIVE OIL Although cables from French packers indicate that the market for olive oil is strong and likely to advance, no change has been advised so far. Some buyers are under the impression that lower offers will be made before the end of this month, but this is not borne out by the reports from all the producing centres. DATES Quotations for dates in lib paper bags have declined 6d a cwt, but it is reported that only limited stocks are nowavailable in London, and these are expected to be cleared up before long Until the arrival of the Hororata with the first shipment to this market, little interest is being shown in further supplies, as merchants are anxious to see how the fruit will open up before reordering. BEANS Madagascar lima beans have advanced a i_/ urther A® a cwt for February-March shipment from London, with no prospect of lower prices until next season. As local stocks are almost exhausted, the arrival of the first of the new season's crop, just being shipped from London, is anxiously awaited. Haricot beans have remained firm since opening rates were announced, with most of the business having been placed for MarchApril shipment. SHELLAC

The market for shellac has shown activity during the past week, for after remaining at a steady level at about 3d a lb under the price ruling for the last direct steamer, c.i.f. rates have nowregistered two advances totalling approximately IJd a lb.

DOMINION RECORDS CLAIMED FRANKLIN A. AND P. SHOW Dominion records are claimed by the Frankton A. and P. Association for the number of entries secured in the Shorthorn and Jersey classes for this week's fixture It is claimed by the officials that entries in these sections w-ill exceed even those of past Royal and metropolitan shows. Viewed from every angle the fixture should be a most successful one. Aggregate entries exceed last year’s record figures by over 300.

ON THE UP-GRADE CANADA’S DAIRYING i (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) Reed. 9 a.m. VANCOUVER, Monday. Despite repeated reports from Ottawa that the trade tready would be attacked in Parliament, especially on behalf of ! the dairymen, who claim that the importation of New- Zealand butter sets the Canadian price. Mr. J. A. Ruddick, Dominion Government Dairy Commissioner, states that the dairy industry throughout Canada is on the up-grade, with steadily increasing production. Last year was the best of many years in Eastern Canada. There was a noticeable increase on the prairies during the last four months.