The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-07-30
wheat Market
STRENGTHENS
SLIGHTLY

Wheat prices firmed little during
the week ended July % while rye
and the feed grains held barely steady
to somewhat lower, according to the
War Food Administration. Broader
mill buying against improved flour
trade and fact that prices had sagged
below loan levels at spring wheat
markets tended to steady wheat Rye,
oats, and barley were under new crop
pressure and prospects of an enlarged
movement of Canadian oats and bar
ley to this country kept the situation
on hese grains little unsettled Low
grade mailing barley and feed quail
ties were especially weakened by this
feature. Plans for heavier use of
sugar in the alcohol program and in
dications that feeding of rye on farms
was smaller than generally antici-
pated weakened rye markets some
what but the oncoming crop is not
large one, being only little over ane-
half of last years production, so new
crop pressure should not be excessive.
Spot flaxseed continued to trade at
the ceiling price of $305 per bushel
for No. seed but ito arrive" bids
were dropped materially The Sep
TENDER option was under considerable
pressure by way of hedging sales
against the excellent new crop pros
poets and impending imports of flax
from Canada and Argentina.
of ~, ~,
terror mills, elevators, and warehouses
in the United States at the first of
July were estimated at 102,446,0 900
bushels, not including grain owned by
the CCC and stored in wooden or steel
bins at country points. Stocks of old
wheat at terminal markets at the
first of July were 162,150,000 bushels,
making total in the three positions
of Asa, 100000 bushels compared with
530,507, 900 bushels in these positions
a year ago.
The heavier utilization of grains for
feed this season, together with a
smaller wheat crop has resulted in
materially smaller stocks in termi-
nal elevators and considerably more
space available for storage. At the
close of the. week ended July II,
slightly over 261 900 900 bushels of
grain were in store in TERMINAL eleva-
tors for which commercial stocks are
reported weekly to the Food Distribu
tion Administration. This grain oc-
cupied about 81 per cent of the avail
able space compared with approx
mately rs per cent a year ago Only
little over So per cent of the storage
space at Atlantic coast markets was
filled at the middle of July this season
compared with about 70 per cent a
year ago. At Gulf coast ports about
rs per cent of the space was occu-
pied, which was about the same as
last year. In the west central and
southwestern markets, about IS per-
cent of the space was occupied this |
year compared with SO per cent last |
year. In the east central group of |
markets, only 3S per cent was occu-
pied this season compared with 81
per cent year ago. In the lower
lake terminals, about As per cent of |
the space was filled compared with |
so per cent last season. In the upper |
lake markets, about 63 per cent was
filled at the middle of July this sea-
son, compared with approximately 70 |
per cent year ago.
Harvesting of winter wheat has ad-
vanced northward to South Dakota, |
Minnesota, and Wisconsin and is be-
ginning in the Pacific northwest |
Some grain still remains to be cut,
however, in the Texas panhandle and
in New Mexico. Threshing from the
shock extends northward to central
Missouri Dry weather caused pre-
mature ripening in portions of the |
Great Basin and too much rain de- |
layed harvesting and threshing in
Ohio Spring wheat shows fine stands
and is filling nicely. Some cutting
has been reported in South Dakota
Winter wheat has suffered very lit
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