Evening star., 1933-01-04
PRODUCE Markets
IN DECLINING TREND
Losses During Year Range
From 10 to so Per Cent
in Leading Products.

hl AoO< NIxG OuAA dl1O GC~lh-HAb A-4N~ -
the time, rays the United States DC
rartment OF Agriculture, Bureau OF Ag-
ricultural Economics, Market News
Service Sharp recoveries in late sum
nier and early Fail were lost before the
end of the year, except for lines usually
in reduced supply at that season. The
majority OF products lost from 10 to
more than so per cent during the past
year, as quoted in the representative
market centers.
Some items, including cotton, wool.
lambs, potatoes. cheese. eggs and East
ern apples are selling fairly close to the
average prices Of a year ago. Among
the sfarpest important declines were
those of 20 to 40 per cent on most
kinds of grain, feeds and live stock.
The prevailing weakness of the farm
markets in 1882 was commonly eX-
piained as due not so much to any
especially heavy production, but rather
TO poor demand resulting from reduced
incomes and lack Of full employment.
Butter Production Moderate.
Butter production during the period
January to November. 1882. was about
the same as during the same period of
1881, but was nearly S per cent In eX-
cess of the five-year average. Stocks
of butter in cold storage were consid-
erably lighter than average during the
entire year and were heavier than
same-date 1881 holdings only in Sep
tember.
The decline in butter and other COM
modify prices. which had its beginning
In the Fall of 1929 and which gained
further momentum during 1880 and
1881, was continued during 1882. The
average price of 92-Score butter in New
York of about 81 cents was cents
lower than the corresponding average
price for 1891, II cents under the 1910
1914 five-year average price and around
10 cents lower than the l927-l93l FIVE
year average quotation. Relatively
speaking, the butter price structure was
the weakest during September and Oc-
tober. when prices this year held about
steady instead of advancing rather
sharply, as during most other years.
The expectation Of rather marked in
crease in the make of butter, due to re-
ported earlier Fall freshening of cows,
the unsatisfactory industrial situation.
with the accompanying light consump-
ton, as we'll as the further decline in
general commodity prices, were among
the conditions chiefly responsible for
the generally weak price situation.
CheeSe MarketS.
Cheese prices, in common with most
other commodity values, continued to
decline in 1882. The high point in
quotations was reached the first week
OF the year At the close of 1882,
cheese prices were l y cents lower than
at the close Of the year.
Eggs Decline and Recover.
Egg prices In 1892, in sympathy with
prices for all other agricultural prod
ucts, reached at times the lowest levels
since the beginning of the present CEN
tury. The quantity of eggs stored in
1882 was the smallest in a number OF
years. Egg production per bird during
the last half of the year was not as
great as during the first half of the year
OF the latter part of 1881. The smallest
storage reserves for years, together with
low Fall production and terminal mar
ket receipts. caused eggs prices during
the latter part of the year to take o
greater than usual seasonal rise Prices
are being much better supported as the
year draws to close than they were a
year ago. and while the seasonal decline
10 now under way 1t Is not as sharp as
81 was at the end of last year.
Poultry Markets Weak in 1882.
unsettled all through the year. In
addition to the pcor. demand for cur
rent consumption, there was a marked
absence Of buying for storing in late
Summer and early Fall, which tended
to keen prices at a low level. The
markets were further depressed during
the closing months of the year by one
of the largest turkey crops ever pro-
duced. Turkeys were so plentiful and
cheap at Thanksgiving and Christmas
as to cause an almost complete neglect
of other classes of poultry. Stocks OF
poultry In storage at the beginning OF
1888 will probably not be as large as
at the beginning of 1882. Present indi-
cations, however, point to little i'm
provement in demand. and the next
few months at least may show con-
tinuance of the present weak and un-
settled markets.
Produce In Light Demand.
Probably the outstanding feature OF
1882 in fruit and vegetables markets
was the apparently reduced buying
power and the general lack of demand
FOR most products except where there
was a temporary shortage. Prices to
growers were low for nearly all products.
Rail shipments were considerably light
cr than the year before, but movement
by motor truck increased in some
districts.
Toward the end of the year, potatoes
approached more closely TO the level OF
late 1891. Summer and Fall cabbage
crops ranged generally lower than q
year ago Apple values we're fair
early in 1882, but generally below the
1881 level most of this year
Live Stock Prices Cut.
Price OF cattle declined TO the lowest
levels recorded since 1911 and those Of
cattle and hogs to q lower basis than at
any time since 1878. The market for
both species touched the lowest basis Of
the l2-month period during the closing
month of the year. the average cost of
slaughter steers and of hogs on the Chi
csgo market for the week ended De-
cember "a falling to $3.50 and $296 per
100 pounds. respectively. The average
cost of slaughter steers on that market
for the corresponding week Of 1881 YVES
sT.05 and that Of hogs S4.25. Lamb
values, while sharply lower practically
throughout 1882 than during the pre-
ceding 12-month period, attained a
higher basis than year earlier during
December and were relatively well sus-
tanned throughout the year as compared
with cattle and hog prices. Receipts for
the first ii months Of the year at 81
public markets were 1l,041 .52G cattle,
5.l28.512 calves, 81 .9o6,269 hcgs and
27,64S, ,728 sheep. The percents ee of de-
crease by classes 2s compared with the
first IL months OF 1881 was as follows
Cattle, ll6. calves, 95; hogs, 81;
sheep, l0.4.
Grain Near Lowest Prices.
Domestic grain markets closed the
year 1882 at record OF near record low
levels. The relatively large supplies are
moving slowly into trade and consum-
ing channels. Stocks Of wheat were
well below the record supply on hand a
year ago, but slow domestic demand
and the lack of an export outlet as the
result Of depressed foreign currencies
and trade barriers forced prices to the
lowest point in the history of local
markets
Feed grain markets weakened durirg
the last half OF 1882 under the infiu-
ence of prospective larger rupplies, the
decline in wheat and a limited market
ARYTaand ~ Ion, 1y,,, = II,