FRUIT GLUT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 29, 4 February 1928, Page 14

FRUIT GLUT.

CITY MARKETS DELUGED. fcOW PRICE FOR GROWERS.

TEAK OF TOMATO MARKET.

Down at the city markets there is a glut of fruit. Since yesterday morning there has been a deluge of tomatoes, peaches, ancl nectarines, ancl there is also a big quantity of apples. The glut should last less than a week.

At the present time the stipplv <>f tomatoes is at the peak. So heavy is the glut that tomatoes can bj bought for from 1/6 to 2/6 an lSlb case. That position will last only a few day?, so that the public will have a chance to buy cheap fruit for condiment-waking. fiieie is a particularly heavy supply of Paragon peaches and' nectarines, the former selling at from 5/ to 7/ a 20ib to 241b case, and nectarines can be bought for the same price. Next week there will probably be a 50 per cent increase in prices on the fruit mentioned. All the fruit is now in first class condition.

There has been a big rlrop in the price of apples during the last clay or two, ancl they aro selling at a low price. A medium grade apple is selling at from 2/6 to 3/0 a 401b case. Higher grades are priced at 5/ to 7/ per bushel.

When there is such a heavy glut, the markets have a hard job to'get rid of ♦he fruit. Yesterday was a good day, it being estimated that 10,000 cases were 80Id. This week a shipment of fruit arrived from Norfolk Island, and the market, already heavily laden with local fruit, was further flooded.

"This year the quality of fruit has been much better than usual," said Iklr. H. Turner, of Turner and Growers, this morning. "The dry weather has kept the rot away, but at the game time the heat has brought the tomatoes on early and they have all ripened quickly. Of course, there is a glut every year, but this year is a bit worse than others, because of the dry spell." "Vegetables Will be Scarce." "The local potato crop is almost finished," Air. Turner remarked, "and half the supply for Auckland is even now coming from the southern part of the North Island. A lot of potatoes are coming from Hawke'a Bay. There is going to be a serious shortage of vegetable? in ths winter, if this dry weather keeps up, and the prices will be high," said Mr. Turner.

Talking about Jaffa oranges, those luscious big oranges, which come from Palestine, Mr. Turner eaid that they were going well in Auckland at the moment, although they were a big price, selling for about 4d each in the shops. The first shipment arrived in excellent co -dition, but the high price put them out of the reach of many people, who coald afford to buy only cheaper oranges. Mr. Turner said he thought that, until there was a cool-storage ship service to Palestine there would never be a good market for Jaffa oranges in New Zealand.