BANANAS AGAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 65, 18 March 1930, Page 8

BANANAS AGAIN.

t : ; TOFUA'S short shipment. 5 RETAILERS AND PRICES. I PENDING GOVERNMENT INQUIRY. i \ There is more trade anxiety about s bananas. The steamer Tofua arrived to-day with 4000 cases from Fiji, this shipment being far short of the noimal quantity of about 18,000 cases received at this period of the season. _ ahe shortage is attributed to the hurricanes and floods experienced some months ago . in the tropics. , , , . The Tofua's cargo just landed is _not considered to be in very good condition, according to Mr. H. G. Staley, secretaij of the Auckland Retail Fruiterers' Asso- ? ciation. He says the price fixed by importers was 32/6 per case ex-wharf for 5 the best green fruit. Usually a case 1 contained from 80 to 841b, but owing to , evaporation in ripening, the poundage L was reduced to about 72. As the public r bought only ripe bananas, the cost had I to be based on the ripe fruit. The [ cost ex-wharf, with 1/ extra per case for j cartage to the retailer's shop, was 33/6, this bringing the cost to the retailer 1 to 5Jd per lb, which was a high price for unripe fruit. The retailers con- , sidered that they were entitled to chaige ' Sd per lb for the best fruit and Od per } lb for the poorer quality—equivalent to about 25 per cent profit on outlay. 1 "Retailers in certain districts refuse . to buy at these prices," said Mr. Staley, "on the ground that the public cannot . afford to pay them. As a matter of ) fact we doubt whether the merchants are justified in charging such high prices, even allowing for the short supply. However, it is a question which will be dealt with at the pending Government inquiry into the marketing and selling of fruit, produce and vegetables.