APRICOT PRICES

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23859, 30 January 1943, Page 6

APRICOT PRICES

* ; CRITICISM OF ORDER The price order concerning apricots announced on Thursday was characterised yesterday by Mr E. Guthrie, president of the Canterbury Fruitbuyers Association, as “ridiculous.” “I think it is just another bungle,’ he said. “The cases contain only from 16 to 181b of fruit, and not 201b. ~s stated. First of all, all cases should have the net weight clearly marked on them, and the virice prder should be based on a case containing 201b of fruit (and not merely *approximr.tely, as stated in the order).” Mr Guthrie said hat retailers had to give the public 16oz when 11b of fruit was purchased, and not an approximate quantity. “Therefore, the price order is ridiculous from the start,” he said. Prices should be by grade, and standard grading should be instituted. All cases, in his opinion, should carry a guarantee that the apricots were fre of brown rot or any other disea-e. After holding them at present for two or three days, he added, it was not unusual for 50 per cent, to be discarded as waste fruit. Mr Guthrie said that retailers were compelled to give the public sound fruit. “Why should not the same i protection be given to the retailer?" he asked. Quite soon, he added, the maximum price wnu d also be the minimum price. The authorities had not consulted his executive before the order had been made, he said If they had done so, these points would have been brought under their notice. DUNEDIN RETAILERS’ COMPLAINT MARGIN CONSIDERED TOO SMALL (P.S.S.) DUNEDIN, January 29. The announcement that the Government has fixed a maximum wholesale price of 8s per 201b case for apricots marketed in Otago has been received with anything but enthusiasm by local retailers, who complain that the authorities have apparently given little consideration to the difficulties that will face sellers when they attempt to market fruit under a cei.ing price which has been fixed in what one fruiterer described as a “singularly haphazard manner.” The price order came into effect in the Dunedin marts to-day, but when several of the so-called 201b cases were checked in the rooms it was found that the net weight was only 161b to 181b, according to the size ol the fruit. It was pointed out by an auctioneer that it was impossible to get 201b of fruit into a 7 x 7 case, which is the standard pack for stone fruit. He said he could not see how a retailer could sell fruit which cost him 6d per to in the mart at the fixed price of BJd per lb. He had to pay for cartage, bags were high in price, and wastage amounted sometimes to as high as 25 per cent., especially in the warm weather, when brown rot could be expected in apricots from most districts. In these circumstances. with_ a margin of only 2£d to work on, the retailer was in an unenviable position. . Mr A. H. Newall. secretary of the Otago Retail Fruiterers’ Association, told a reporter that he could not understand how the Government had arrived at its price. “To me and to other retailers,” he said, “it seems that the whole matter has been arranged carelessly and without proper consideration.”