GROCERY NOTES

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25902, 7 September 1949, Page 8

GROCERY NOTES

With the speeding up of deliveries, merchants have to a great extent overtaken delays in distribution caused by the recent shipping hold-up, and normal trading conditions now prevail throughout the Dominion. The match position, although still acute in the North Island, has been afforded some relief in Christchurch by a recent shipment of a well-known British pack. One of the Auckland manufacturers of cigarettes, who was granted a licence to import from overseas, has now received advice that, because of the dollar shortage curtailing the supply of American tobacco leaf to Great Britain, orders recently placed for shipment to New Zealand have been cancelled. However, the deficiency will be made up by an increased quantity of one of the popular New Zealand packs in 10’s and 20’s. Lima Beans.—ln the Taranaki, now unloading at Auckland, there is a fairly large quantity of Madagascar lima beans. This is the first shipment to arrive for a good many years, and landing at a price not a great deal higher than when last on the market, a ready demand is anticipated. There will be the usual delay before Canterbury consignments arrive.

Tinned Vegetables.—Because of the shortage in the season’s pack of fresh tinned peas, a southern packer is again canning processed peas in 21oz tins. Merchants are now carrying stocks, and steady sales are reported. It is understood that one of the Auckland packers also intends to pack processed peas to meet the demand likely to follow later in the year. The sales of tinned mixed vegetables have increased considerably over the last few weeks, and extra supplies are now coming forward from the packers. Coffee.—A new scale of prices has been approved for a well-known pack of coffee. The lib and Jib jars of pure coffee have advanced by Is and 6d a dozen respectively, and the minute coffee in the 11b jars has been increased by 5s a dozen, and the wax packet by 3s 6d a dozen. There is no shortage in this supply. and ali packs are available. Cordial Crystals.—The Dunedin manufacturers of a popular pack of lemon and barley-water crystals have been authorised to increase the price by 5s 3d a dozen.