COMMERCIAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2720, 27 January 1910, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

CANTERBURY GRAIN MARKET. Tl’ich I’ltKH.s Association. | CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 26. With the harvest in full swing in all parts of Canterbury, it is not surprising that the amount of grain that has been placed on the market during the week has been within narrow limits, with the result that since last report business has been practically at a standstill. A few lines of wheat have been placed on the market, but most of it has been from owners who have not been anxious to sell, the prices asked being at least one penny ,per bushel in advance of what merchants consider the market value, .namely Is 7d to Is 8d per bushel on trucks at country stations. The merchants appear very indifferent about doing business, and chary about touching lines threshed from stock, considering there is a danger of the grain not being so shotty as it ought to be. It would be wrong to draw deductions from the few lines on offer up to the present, but it is very noticeable that the grain so far offered, although of excellent color, is not as large as it should be, this being attributed to unfavorable weather experienced during the ripening. It is expected that at least a week will elapse before any considerable quantities will be on offer, and at least three or four weeks before the market can he said to have been established. With the market lifeless and nothing being offered prices remain unchanged. Reports to hand show that in many cases in which threshing has been completed, the result has not come up to expectations, but the grain threshed up to the present can ho hardly taken as a fair criterion on the whole of the crops, and it is expected that later results will prove much more satisfactory. There is some difference of opinion as to whether this year’s yield in Canterbury will exceed that of last year, although it will not he nearly as large as was anticipated a couple of months ago, when a record harvest was confidently looked forward to.

LONDON AA'OOL SALES. Uniticd Pjikhs Association— Copyright LONDON, Je.n. 25. At the wool sales Alatapiro wool realised loi-d. the top price and an average of I2 : f-d. There was strong competition for all classes at full rates. THE GRAIN MARKET. Ten thousand quarters of Adelaide and AUctorian December to January wheat sold at 10s 9d. GUP. FRIEND THE HOG. HAS HE HAD A CHANCE. New Zealand, with its steady progress in dairying, should be particularly well adapted for raising liogs (says the “Dominion”). The country is well suited for the purpose, but wlmt is wanting is some co-operative effort to give to tho hog his proper place in the economy of tho farm. Considerable attention is paid to the breeding of dairy cows and sheep, but the pig industry is neglected, flog prodmas should be among tho cheapest of Send predicts in New Zealand, instead oi which they are the dearest. A year or two ago there was a great scarcity of pigs, and prices ruled high. This naturally led to- a few more farmers keeping a few pigs each, .and this season the demand is very'slack, or rather thesupply of bogs exceeds the demand, and prices have dropped considerably. J.t is very like.ly because of this many farmers will "go out of pig-rearing. The demand would be much stronger than it is in New Zealand itself were the prices not so high. Ham and bacon and pork are- too expensive for most people to indulge in more'than occasionally, and this should not be so. The export of frozen pork is open to New Zealand, but the business must be carried out with some system, and some regard to the requirements of the importing markets. If China can successfully export pork, so can Now Zealand, but the farmers must show some determination to succeed. The low prices now current have caused some little discussion, and proposals to start bacon factories have been suggested in several localities. Co-operative bacon factories do not appear to have been a very great success, and several that liave been started at various times in various places have had to cease operations from one cause and another. Insufficiency of capital • and poor trade have done most harm, and this will be a- recurring feature of the industry. Farmers very seldom put up sufficient

capital for such, an enterprise, consequently the working costs are materially increased by interest charges and other incidental expenses, furthermore, such concerns expect to share in the trade at the same prices as their competitors, and do not for a moment see that a big business is to he built up on a lower range of prices. New Zealand could perhaps find trade for several more bacon factories, •provided prices were lowered sufficiently to bring the products within the reach of all. The local market will always be worth cultivating; but at best there is a limit to local consumption, because of the small population. The safest outlet for the pig-raisers is the export trade. If the pig-farmers of the different dairying districts were to combine and form associations for the purpose of exporting"frozen pork, it is almost certain some good results would be achieved.