Grocery Review

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 782, 1 October 1929, Page 10

Grocery Review

The Sun Office, October 1, 1929. Although the wholesale houses have completed the early orders j for October account, business continues to be fairly brisk. Shipments of many Christmas lines are now coming to hand, and forward sales are being delivered immediately on arrival. TT is noticeable that many retailers A who have been disinclined to book their forward requirements are now | taking advantage of the keen competition in the wholesale trade, and are ordering more freely. The increased rates of bank exchange between London and the Dominion, and the additional primage duty are now'•being reflected in landed costs, and with the firming markets advised in many lines from overseas,, present quotations are considered to be most favourable. The Kaiapoi, which arrived from Melbourne yesterday, brought further shipments of canned fruits, currants, sultanas, etc., some of which were short shipped by the Kaitangata, which arrived over a week ago. Most of these items were urgently required, particularly the canned fruits,. which, owing to a. strong consuming demand at present, were in short supply. Further shipments of Californian raisins and prunes came to hand at the end of last week, as the local market is short of supplies, particularly of prunes. These are selling very freely'. Other arrivals of interest last week include Brazil nuts, Barcelona nuts, safety matches, magnesia. dates, cherries, and tartaric acid. A well-known packer of dessert greengages, gooseberries, and cape gooseberries in tins, advises a reduction in these fruits of approximately 2s a dozen. JAMS Another shipment of South African jam in most varieties arrived per Maheno last week. This is the last of the existing contracts to be delivered this year, and with the possibility of an alteration in the present tariff a considerable portion of the shipment has already been sold. ALMON PS The market for the new crop of P.G. Sicily almonds is still showing a weaker tendency, and .following on the reductions advised last week, cables just to hand record a further drop of 2s Gd a cwt. for direct shipment early' in October. As the main buying for Christmas requirements was done some months age, present rates are only of nominal interest in the meantime. PEANUTS Prices are now available for new season’s Chinese peanuts -in shell, and although not on the level of present season’s, are considered very favourable for opening rates. A fair amount of business has already’ been placed in this line for shipment from Tientsin in October. WALN UTS Quotations have also been named for the new crop of Manchurian walnuts in shell, both number one selected and thin shell varieties. Although not quite as low as tne last ruling rates for the present crop, prices are really' most attractive to buyers, and as shipment can be made in October, this allows ample time for orders to arrive for the Christmas trade. CHERRIES Heavy bookings have been made in new season’s French cherries, both crystallised and drained varieties at the low prices now ruling. Latest cables from London shippers advise that the market for forward shipment is very firm, crystallised having already been advanced one halfpenny a lb, with higher prices likely to rule. English drained cherries have also been advanced twopence a lb., but there are still some fail-sized parcels, booked at the low rates ruling last month, still to be delivered. BEANS A sharp advance in the price of new season’s Madagascar butter beans has just been cabled, the rates for shipment from January' to March having been raised £4 a ton. It is stated that the market lias been seriously affected by speculators, but as the early' reports of the crop were favourable, it is fully' anticipated that lower rates will be obtainable later on. DATES The direct steamer from Basra via Australia is due to sail early in October sad supplies of the new crop of dates should arrive here about the middle of December. Meanwhile, the local market is well supplied in Khadrawi grades, but stocks of Sairs are short and the quality only fair. London advices on the new crop are to the effect that prices are almost certain to advance again. This is not surprising, as the rates quoted for the new fruit this season are the lowest that have ruled for many years. FIGS The first shipments of the new crop of Smyrna figs have now been made and these should be available for local distribution about the end of November. Prices for shipment in October have taken a sharp advance, lay er figs in glove boxes . and cellophane packets now being 2s Gd a cwt higher, while most other grades have advanced 5s a cwt. Cooking figs in 28lb bags are showing a still higher rate, the advance in this instance being 7s a cwt. Latest cables from London shippers advise that prices are expected to reach a still higher level beSEEDS Since the opening offers for the new. crop of Turkish canary seed were first cabled, prices have been steadily advancing and a further rise of £2 10s a ton is advised this week. This represents a total advance of £ll a ton since the market opened, with every indication of higher prices. EASTERN GOODS The chief price alteration this week is an advance of 10s~a ton in both medium pearl and seed tapiocas, with the market reported firm. Pepper shows a slight advance at the end of last week after lower prices being available earlier, but the general opinion of Singapore shippers is that prices are likely to recede still further and only limited business is being booked in the meantime. Singapore pineapples remain firm but unchanged at last week’s rates, but both nutmegs and mace continue to decline, both being listed at the most favourable rates available for a long time. A slight reaction is now advised by Samarang shippers of kapok, the new crop being quoted at 3-16 d a lb below the rates previously ruling, for shipment by' the No-vember-December direct steamer. PRUN ES A few hundred boxes will be landed ex the Golden Cloud, but these will not last the trade for very' long and an acute shortage is likely' before supplies of i new crop are available. Contrary to the ! earlier information on the market for j the new fruit, quotations were reduced last week, but whether this is only a temporary move in order to induce forward buying, it is difficult to say'. RAISINS Slightly lower quotations have been { cabled for Thompson’s seedless raisins in bulk, but prices for cartons of both seed- I less and seeded varieties remain un- j changed. On the other hand, golden 1 bleached raisins again show slight ad- 1 vances on previous rates, and there is ! every indication of still higher levels i being reached, as there is a very, strong] demand for this class of fruit. GUM ARABIC Prices received during the week for the 1 new season’s gum arabic are much lower I than present offers for any available ! stocks of the old crop. As these offers j are still over 50 per cent, above the quo- ; tations of normal years and shipment j cannot be made before January-Febru- i ary', lower prices are expected. BUTTER AND CHEESE Merchants report receipt of over- ; seas cables as follows: Joseph Natan and Company, from •Trengrouse and Nathan, London: Fin- i est butter. 183 s: first. 17Ss) market firm but quiet. White 965: col- ! oured, 955; market quiet.