HIGH PRICES FOR FRUIT.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 164, 11 July 1919, Page 5

HIGH PRICES FOR FRUIT.

THE WHOLESALE MARKET. ; GOOD SPELL FOR OKCHAKDIST& LEMONS AXD PASSIONS SCARCE. Fruit-farmers are reaping a harvest at the present time, the sales of all classes j of fruit, with the exception of dessurt ' apples, being exceedingly keen, with resultant high prices. There is an exceptionally heavy call for all classes of 1 pears, consequently high prices are ml- ' ing , . Island tomatoes are also 'being keenly competed for. The commodity I which is most scarce are lemons, and these are selling at prices equivalent to if not more than those which ruled during the recent epidemic. Oranges are also in fairly good demand, but tbe bulk | of the shipment which arrived by the Flora required picking over. Choice ripe bananas are fetching record prices for this time of the year. Sales yesterday and to-day were 25/6 for 801b. cases, which is equivalent to 3Jd. per lb. wholesale. Prices should ease within the course of a. few days. Josephine pears are fetching from 17/6 to 19/ per case of 401b.; Elizabeth (half cases) up as high as 8/9 and 9/, Beurre Bosc (half cases) 7/ to 7/9. !

Lemons in small boxes of about 10 j dozen are bringing an average of from j 1/9 to 2/3' per dozen. There ;s no hop 1: of these receding in price for borne considerable time. Delicious apples are not being keenly competed for, sales taking place at from 12/ to 14/. Munroes are selling at from 7/ to 7/9, and Jonathans, first quality, 12/. Re-packed Mangaia oranges are selling at 12/, and Rarotongans from 15/ to \G/. Prices for the latter will no doubt harden in the course of a week or 60, owing to the few good ones which are retained out of the original cases. Passion fruit is in very short supply, and for quartercases sales are taking place at from 10/ to 11/4. The high price is accounted for by the fact that no good Sydney fruit is reaching Auckland, only at very extreme intervals. Kumaras, which were selling freely laet year at Id. to lid. per pound, are selling this season at from to 3d. per lb. This is considered to be a very high price for this class of produce. Pumpkins are also in keen demand, and prices which are ruling, from 14/ to 15/ per cwt., are exceptionally high. These prices were maintained at the sales conducted 'by A. B. Donald, Ltd., yesterday and to-day.