Milford chronicle., 1931-03-06
WEEKLY PRODUCE
MARKET NOTES


ue large and the demand lacks Wig
or. Potatoes and cabbage dropped a
little further but onions were al
ready selling so extremely low that
the market seems to be reaching q
point of resistance. New southern
produce is coming along fast. When
the new crop starts so early var
ious setbacks may be expected from
frosts and cold storms.
Shipments Increase
The current rate of shipments of
fruits and vegetables is to 10 per
cent greater than year ago but
the increase is accounted for in part
by the heavy output of oranges and
grapefruit. The supply of these
fruits is liberal enough to explain
low prices in that line. Other pro-
duce selling at One-half to one-third
the leVal OF last season seems to be
depressed by the lower general price
level for goods of many kinds. Sweet
potatoes, lettuce and celery are
among the few vegetables selling
higher than in early March, 1880.
Cabbage at 81 to $40 per ton in pro-
ducing sections is near the bottom
of the list when compared with $55
to SIS year ago.
Potatoes Fairly Steady
The general potato market has
behaved about as well as could be
expected in view of carlOt shipments !
sometimes amounting to fully 1000
carloads daily. Prevailing average
receipts are about 800 cars cOmpar= |
ed with usual year-around average |
near 600. Maine, Idaho and COlOra-
do account for about half the cur
rent output in carloads.
Prices have held better on Maine
potatoes than on most other lines.
The present range of prices on
Maine Green Mountains is the same
or a trifie higher than at the begin
ming of the month, while other clas-
ses of potatoes have declined to 10
cents during that time. 1t is no
doubt realized by the trade that the
active shipments in late winter were
due to mild weather rather than to
any great surplus of holdings. Last
year shipments after February
amounted to about $4,000 cars and
holdings are supposed to be much
the same this year, but it is evident
that low prices will not encourage
shipments of low grade stock from
distant producing sections. The mar
ket continues dull in western New
York with carlot sales a little above
So per 15G0-pound sack. A large per-
centage of billings are destined for
southern points. Price to growers
has gone as low as 60 cents BUSH
ell, bulk, at some stations in this
section. The position in northern
Maine seemed a little stronger late ,
in February although most sales
were made on the basis Of $1.30 per
100-poupd sack. The trade in that !
section was encouraged by the con-
tinued good distribution OF table
stock and by the brisk demand for
seed potatoes. Certified CObblers ,
seem 10 be scarce and sold as high {
as 1925 or even $3.50 per ll-peck
sack while Green Mountains {
brought $2.75 to So. Maine shippers j
are expecting active demand for
seed stock in March. /
Nearly all the large eastern mar q
kets report potato supply and de- q
mand moderate and prices about 4
steady. Green Mountains range
$l.75 to $215 per 100 pounds and I
some southern markets reached 6
$3.50. Canadian stock is slightly r
frmer, mostly above 50 per 90 n
pound sack. New York Round r
Whites bring $1.G5 to $1.S5 in most S
eastern cities but reached top of I
$2.15 in Washington. Dull steady h
prevail at western shipping f
points. II
Sweet Potatoes Selling Well v
The limited supply of sweet po- b
tatOes this season has brought the d
level of prices well above those of
year ago and the market has main O
tained itself in firm position for 6
some time. There was little change e.
in the market level in late February. "
The supply was moderate or even il
light in 4 few markets and demand E
slow to fairly active. Delaware and
Maryland sweets of the Jersey type s,
brought $1.75 to $215 per bushel in nj
eastern markets. New Jersey sweets D
sold as high as So for best lots in II
New York. Other markets quoted NJ
rom 1925 to $2.75. North Carolina III
Porto Ricans in bushel hampers sold ci
n six eastern markets at $1.25 to gI
;1.50 and a similar range prevailed
IN Georgia stock. Tennessee Nam ii
" Halls sold at $1.35 to $1.75. Vir- nj
sinia white yams from the Eastern VI
Shore region brought 1925 to 1915 il
Der barrel in Baltimore and Phila- VI
lelphia. 50
onion Market Firm al
Prices of onions seem to have
zone about as low as they could 25
Without checking the rate of ship w
nent and the price has been hold 81
ng quite steady the past few weeks, tn
ven advancing n little in some CEN es
raj western producing sections. it,
continues at western New Fl
FORK onion shipping points with
cry little activity in the market. G.
iales at 65 cents are the rule for pa
10. l yellow stock in 100-pOund 81
acks but some, averaging larger,
rought IS to 80 cents near the end
L the month. Western onion ship b,
ing districts report steady dull la
larkets without much change in the nj
rice. Onions of the Spanish type s.:
dVanced cents in Colorado ship to
ing sections and prices in western to