FANCY PRICES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 29, 4 February 1939, Page 4

FANCY PRICES.

! VEGETABLES IN SYDNEY. SUPPLIES BADLY WANTED. ( NEW ZEALAND SHIPMENTS. , SYDNEY, February 3. i A fairly' large consignment of New Zea- : ' land mixed vegetables arrived at Syduey ; by the Aw a tea to-day and most of them , | will be marketed to-morrow. They are ] certain to find a brisk sale, in view of the ' > unprecedented shortage' of green vege- J ; tables in the eastern States. i Peas, beans, marrows and cabbages are ) in strong demand at fancy prices. The- | large 1 hotels, cafes and hospitals cannot 1 obtain full supplies except by cornering the market. Potatoes and onions also are .at famine prices and, in short supply. Three huni dred tons of New Zealand onions arrived to-day and will be marketed to-. 1 ; morrow- They swill afford some relief, but 1 far greater consignments are needed to meet the public clamour. , Local agents are hoping that New Zea- ( land growers will be able to rise to the < ; occasion for two months and get the con- « ' sinners here out of trouble. \ The New Zealand vegetables which ar- \ | rived to-day are in excellent condition •, and not affected by. the voyage. Current , ; market prices are:—Peas, from 10/ to 16/ . ; a /bushel; .Deans, 14/ to 22/; cabbages, to 1(5/ a dozen; onions, brown, £25 to £20 r 1 a ton; white, £20; potatoes, to £22 a • ; ton. - WANGANELLA CONSIGNMENT. j Fairly large shipments of vegetables from New Zealand diave been going to Australia in recent weeks to relieve the 1 shortage there, - consequent on the heat 1 waves and bush fires. Yesterday the 3 Wanganella took a consignment of cab- i bages, peas and beans from Auckland. i High prices are expected to make this 1 profitable to growers, alt/hough transport 'i costs, import duty and losses through depreciation are naturally heavy. These exports promised -to have a firming effect on the local ;market up to this week's 1 rain, which resulted in heavy supplies of 1 all classes - of vegetables and lower prices i at yesterday's sales in Auckland. i Shipments'" from the Dominion have ] been chiefly .confined to cabbages* swedes, beet and peas.. It *is expected that, the demand from Australia will continue for from three to six months. By that time * fresh crops of vegetables are expected «" to mature there. ] The first consignment of New Zealand > vegetables to Australia was sent from 1 Auckland about n fortnight ago. About I 300 tons of onions were shipped last ( week, a total of" 2700 bajjs being dis- 1 •patched by. the Karepo, which left Auck- i land on January 27 for Sydney. A large j | quantity. oE mixed • vegetables went away •, by the Wanganella for Sydney and Mel- ' a •bourne 'last night. Cabbages, onions, peas, t beans, turnips and •pumpkins comprised c bhc anajor portion of this shipment. Y Australia imposes a duty of 25 per cent y on vegetables taken into the country. This r ] has considerably"'upset the buying of some j Australian dealers, who inade purchases -j. without this knowledge. -