Grocery Review

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 812, 5 November 1929, Page 10

Grocery Review

The Sun Office, November 5, 1929. The wholesale grocery merchants are in the midst of a very busy period, trade being steadily on the increase each week. THE list of arrivals just to hand inelude the first of the new season’s. Jordan almonds and crystallised cherries, while a shipment of Californian figs is meeting with a good demand. Californian muscatels will arrive in a few weeks’ time, but supplies of Spanish packings will be somewhat late this year. Smyrna figs, sultanas currants and dates are all on the water, and should arrive in ample time for the Christmas trade. There is an acute shortage of prunes, and although the new crop supplies will land at increased rates, this is not affecting forward bookings to any great extent. d ALMONDS Quotations for Sicily almonds remain at a most favourable level, present offers for shipment up to the end of the year being the lowest for some time. Unfortunately most buyers have booked their requirements at higher rates, consequently the market will not be affected to any extent meantime. Reports from Catania are to the effect that the new crop was about a fortnight late, and the kernals are somewhat smaller this year, but quality generally is excellent. FILBERTS

The prospects of the new crop of Sicily filberts are very unfavourable, and it is estimated that there will not be half the quantity that was produced last year. As there was a big carry-over last season it is anticipated that prices are unlikely to advance. Latest indent quotations are about £lO a ton above the opening rates, which, however, were most favourable. WALNUT HALVES There is a distinct shortage of this line in the market, and it will be some weeks before further supplies of Chinese quality come to hand. New' season’s French halves are now being quoted at lower prices for spread shipment, but as it is difficult to obtain the necessarv insurance cover against grub and mildew, only limited quantities are being imported from this quarter. PEANUTS The market for Chinese peanuts in shell remains unaltered, little interest being displayed by wholesalers at. this time of the year. The new season’s business for shipment, commencing in October has already been placed at Javourable rates as compared with last season. KERNALS Cables received from Samarang last week indicated a lower market for Java peanut kernals for forward shipment. As present prices .show merchants an advantage of about £1 a ton on their previous purchases fairly heavy bookings have been made for spread shipment, extending to about February or March next. FRUITS The Kaikorai arrived from Melbourne direct last week, bringing replenishing stocks of all South Australian products including canned fruits, currants and sultanas. Stocks of the latter were runmng short locally and present shipments have arrived to a good demand, enabling merchants to complete their contract deliveries in ample time for the Christmas season. The canned fruits are also welcome, as in many instances wholesale stocks were entirely cleaned up, particularly in half and sliced peaches. As the present arrivals are stated to be the last of the contracts placed some months ago, and no more Australian canned fruits are. available his season prices are likely to advance before long. PEARS is a soot! inquiry for canned peais at present and the trade is beinguoiie chiefly in the New Zealand article, as imported brands are offering at much prices - is rumoured that the pack is now running short and as the season's fruit will not be ready aljou . t 1I February or March next, tiaders will find it necessary to conserve their stocks. OLIVE OIL inrTir.o+l d acl^ ic fs Horn Fiance this week , that hi&her prices for French are llk , ely to rule before long. 4- season s Quotations opened at tha t- were considerably lower than ,ei e anticipated, and in view of the f^ OA, Tni nformation most of the business placed. 6 commg se ason is now being OIL OF LEMON *iA dvi £ es 1 Messina are to the effect that abundant rains during August had .roved beneficial to the pending crops fruits and the prospects of a good and early production have been enhanced. Although not yet back to present offers for supplies of season s oil of lemon for shipment commencing m January, are cony<Sr. ably lower than those ruling last EASTERN GOODS

%fr ned pineapples remain mm at last ruling rates, with a slight «tni an ,? e quality cubes. is .till a little business offering for the Dart e!f er th ' rect . stear ?er, but the greater »?a l ced f PeZJ 3rders > lave already been Placed. Pepper continues steadv, but in! , ai e . „9 n,y nominal interest at q apioeas continue to ftuca ?lt dla ”u Peai ’i havln ® declined 5s a ton last week and sago 7s 6d a. ton ntrfke U^H i, mark ® 1 remains lifeless—the stiike still applies to one mill only and at prese°L eXPeCted that “ RAISINS Latest estimates of the new cron of I hompson s seedless raisins indicate that De? 0 mt 10 !f T * llot be more than cent 4 of last season’s, and perhe indu S ,V.-v n in a r endeavour to stabilise me maustiy m California this veav » oan Of 9,000,000 dollars has blen mads to finance growers of this season’s crop btfoi-fth! 40 the growers, which even annou'tcement of this loan f ® ah cad 3 double those prevailing thiee or four months earlier, have since advanced still further. In spite of the t 0 P revent unprofitable busi? prices hav S aga ] n reduced their Thb? nl? all grades of the new crop PRUNES r b 3f a i!d (’niifm-ilid ll^ shipped last season from California for export alone, while durtons were a snM £? r j, od more than 100,000 ,?on in VmS-15;ill domestic markets. The ivliUe the fiSf, 1 , a f reported short, i ~ ii i tne . figures for the French cron i , v’s b< o,t',! tlrely ! nadc( iuate for that eounu> s own requirements. It will tlierefoie be seep t j ia t there is a heavv fs2t 'has h h e e*n' S no S rry - over M Vr? more°Vh»^' e sn PreKe,,t auotatloS , ’ ‘uau 40 per cent, above the which ruled during 1928 and sUlWighe? evident that long. & pi ices can be expected before NORTHERN DAIRYING The rains of October, have had a beneficial efr-ct on the production of dairy produ l throughout the province. October returns for the Northern Wairoa Co-operative Dairy company, show an increase of approximately IS tons on the figures for the corresponding period of last year. The company’s output for the sea-son to date is 575 tons, compared with 554 tons for the corresponding period of last year. October returns of the Port Albert Dairy Company, show an increase of tons over the figures for the corresponding month of last year. The hulk of company’s m?.k® this season has been sold on an f.o.b. basis.