Grocery Review

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 686, 11 June 1929, Page 10

Grocery Review

The Sun Office, June 11, 1929.

Trade with the wholesale merchants has been fairly steady during the past week, but is somewhat quieter at present, this being the period of the month when least buying is done by the retailers. are still anxiously awaiting the declaration of prices for the new season’s pack of British Columbia salmon, but these are due at any moment now.

Indent quotations for Norwegian smoked sild (sardines) have now' advanced about Is a case for all sizes, with the advice that further advances are probable. A well-known local manufacturer of Worcester sauce advises a reduction of Is 6d a dozen in the price of quart bottles, while locally manufactured rennet has been reduced 2s a dozen bottles. Owing to the fact that local stocks are very short, due to supplies on the Sussex being destroyed and importations from either* Sydney or Singapore being procurable only at higher prices, a local manufacturer advises an advance in all sizes of white pepper packed in tins. The list of goods which arrived during the week includes Australian canned and dried fruits, and English safety matches, which landed to aunost a bare market, and are meeting with a ready sale. A strong demand continues for all the seasonal lines usually selling freely at this period of the year, these including pearl barley, peas, lentils, breakfast foods, coffees, cocoas, tinned soups, etc. INDIAN COFFEE

The shipments of new' crop Mysore and other grades of coffee shipped by the Sussex have turned out to be an entire loss, this cargo apparently having been discharged at Sourabaya as totally damaged. This leaves the local market very short of supplies, as we are now in the height of the consuming season. Immediately the position was made known regarding these shipments, further business was cabled to Mangalore, India, for replacement stocks, but replies are just to hand that the season is finished, and further supplies are therefore unobtainable. Merchants will now have to draw further quantities either from Australia or from London, at considerably increased prices. ALMONDS

The market for P.G. Sicily almonds has been a very difficult one to follow of late, prices for both present and new crop supplies having fluctuated every few days. Quotations for new season’s almonds are usually based to a certain extent on the condition of the market for present holdings in suppliers’ hands, but owing to the uncertain future of the coming crop this year, due mainly to severe weather conditions, prices are therefore purely speculative at present. It must also be borne in mind that the almond trees are not yet in blossom. Latest cablegrams from Palermo show that the c.i.f. rates for both prompt and forward shipments are weaker again, the former being 4s a cwt below previous quotations, and the latter 2s 6d a cwt lower. On the other hand, soft shell almonds for .Tuly/August shipment have advanced this week, London shippers having cabled an increase of £2 a ton, with a possibility of still higher rates ruling. NUTS

Prices for Para Brazil nuts for forward delivery remain on a very favourable level, a further decline of 10s a ton being notified last week. Spanish Barcelona nuts are, however, quoted on a firmer basis, prices for July shipment being at an increase of £1 a ton. CHERRIES

Further information on the new' season’s cherry crop in France is to the effect that the damage has been much exaggerated, and quotations for whole drained have been reduced nearly threepence a lb for shipment in September/ October. No alteration has yet been notified in quotations for either present or new season’s French crystallised cherries. DATES

Quotations for new season's lvhadrawi and Sair dahas for shipment from London in January/February remain at the favourable rates originally quoted, although some agents advise that their quotations have already advanced. Lower prices were quoted for shipment 111 October/Novernber, and as no mention was made as to whether this was from London, or via Australia, buyers were under the impression that a second direct steamer via Australia would carry these goods. For the benefit of those in the trade who are uncertain of the position, it may be mentioned that a steamer leaves Busra eaiTy in October each year for Australia, and supplies of new season s dates are transhipped to New Zealand, arriving usually a little before Christmas. Any further supplies of dates to reach this market must come via London, consequently shipments, cannot arrive before the New Year, and as there is only a limited demand for dates during ary and February, owing to plentiful supplies of fresh fruits being available, the early shipment via London is not of great interest to the trade. EASTERN GOODS

Quotations for most Singapore lines this week showed little change. Pepper remains firm, but prices from shippers vary somewhat. Both nutmegs and mace are a shade easier, the former having declined one-farthing a lb, and mace threeeighths of a penny a lb. The market ior sago and pearl tapioca is now showing a firming tendency, prices having advanced a shade all round. Good business has been placed at the favourable rates offering for July/August shipment. After declining steadily for some time, quotations for canned pineapples have now' firmed, but the majority of the business for August sailing has already been placed. Castor oil remains steady, there having been no fluctuations during the past few' weeks. RICE

The prices originally named for Rangoon rice for shipment by the July/ August steamer were considerably higher than those ruling for the April steamer, but sellers have now thought fit to reduce these prices by 7s 6d a ton. While this price is rather attractive, it is not expected that the business booked will be heavy, owing to the greater possibility of the rice being infected with weevil than is the case with the earlier shipments in April. COCONUT Prices of desiccated coconut were reduced some weeks ago to the lowest level that has been reached for years, but information now to hand advises that quotations have been advanced 2s 6d a cwt. The market is still very favourable. but most buyers covered for their requirements before this advance took place. JUTE Mailed reports from Calcutta on the jute crop are very favourable, and if nothing unforeseen happens, it is anticipated that the crop yield this year will he in the region of 12,000,000 bales. This would represent an increase of 2,000,000 bales over the last two years, and the natural conclusion is that prices of cornsacks and wool packs for 1930 will recede, and that buyers will be able to cover for their requirements at lower rates than are now on offer for the 1930 season. ANGLO-PERSIAN OIL CO. BRITAIN’S SHARE OF PROFITS (Australian and N.Z. Press Associationi (United, Service) Reed. 9.25 a.m. LONDON, Monday. The Anglo-Persian Oil Company has declared a dividend of 12§ per cent, for the nine months to December 31, 1928. This means that the British Government will receive about £703,000 on its holdings.