BANANAS CONDEMNED.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 169, 17 July 1916, Page 2

BANANAS CONDEMNED.

SHIPMENT FROM FIJI. 14,000 CASES. The shipment of bananas which arrived in Auckland by the Island steamer Talune last evening, was condemned by the local inspector this morning. In aU, about 14,000 cases have been rejected as being unfit. This is the first time that such a large amount of- this fruit ■ has been condemned, and the cause was eagerly in* quired into this iriorning t>j< the , local merchants. It appears that an insect called the scale is on the fruit, in larger numbers than the local authorities have before experienced. The pest is invisible to the naked eye, though the scale formed is very prominent. The entire shipment has been hung;np until advice is received from the Agricultural Department's Wellington headquarters, as to what i 3 to be done with the fruit. The entire shipment of bananas, at a value of 8/6 per case, represents a sum of itiifloO at the present prices. •As it will be some weeks before a further shipment of bananas will be coming here, the present position makes a shortage of this popular fruit probable. The local authorities say that there is a possibility of the bananas being fumigated, in the event of which there will he no serious loss to the shippers.