PRODUCE MARKET

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 May 1938, Page 3

PRODUCE MARKET

CANTERBURY PRICES POSITION OF POTATOES (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH. May 6. Interest has been maintained almost exclusively in potatoes in the produce markets this week. The price remained firm as reports of heavy rain which was likely to hold up digging in the North Island came in. but, with the fine weather of the last two days, business has slackened. The market has been in a curious position. Rain held up digging in the North Island and that quarter immediately came on to the South Island for prompts. At the same time rain was interfering with the lifting of the crop in the south, and prompt potatoes were scarce and naturally dear. There were no ships north for about a fortnight, till yesterday when a small shipment was taken by the Port Waikato. Two ships are due to go next week, and between them they will take about 15,000 sacks. This and the fact that digging has been resumed generally has brought the market down sharply. The price at present is nominally £3 5s on trucks, but prices of up to £4 were obtained when the demand was at its height. It is not likely that the Canterbury crop will come on to the market this year with a rush, as most growers are having the same difficulty in obtaining diggers as they had last year.

Oats are very slack and there appears to be no interest at all in the crop except for Duns, for which there is the usual steady demand. Chaff is quiet at from £4 5s to £4 10s on trucks, according to the station. The small seeds trade is very quiet indeed, except that there is some interest in white clover, which will apparently be in short supply. Demand for this line has been strong in the last few days, and quotations have risen to as high as Is for the best. The increment on milling wheat attracted very little in from the country, and it seems that a small amount only is held in stack for later prices.