Bananas Unloaded At Lyttelton

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29916, 1 September 1962, Page 10

Bananas Unloaded At Lyttelton

Three thousand cases of bananas from the African Reefer were sold yesterday by auction in Christchurch’s four fruit and produce markets.

Each case held about 701 b, and the average wholesale price was between 4d and 5d per pound. Retailers sold them at 6d, 9d, lOd and Is per pound, depending on quality, and the public bought freely. The price is normally fixed at Is per pound. Up to 9 p.m. yesterday, 14,188 cases had been unloaded from the African Reefer of the 24,000 cases in the four holds. The markets did not offer all the bananas delivered for sale, selling only the ripest. The greener fruit delivered to the markets is being put in cool stores for slow ripening and being consigned by rail to Nelson, Westport, Greymouth, and Timaru, for sale on Monday.

Some retailers in Christchurch considered that the bananas they bought at the markets yesterday were no riper than usual. Some of them are holding the greener bananas for sale today and on Monday.

A director of New Zealand Fruit Distributors, Ltd., Mr H. E. Radley, said yesterday that all the bananas offered for auction yesterday were “moving changing from green to yellow.” He said that ds the cargo was lowered, the bananas would ba riper because they had been cut first. The 24.000 cases would not last more than a fortnight, and would probably be all well ripe in 10 days Cases were being sold for

£1 after 3 p.m. yesterday at one market. There were only one or two bad ones in each case. About one-third of the bananas were ripe, on the outside of the cases, and the interior two-thirds were green but changing colour and ripening

“The retailers are to be congratulated on the way in which they came to the markets and bought the bananas The policy of New Zealand Fruit Distributors. Ltd., is to sell the bananas cheaply rather than waste one of them,” Mr Radley said. He hoped the buying public would respond to the cheaper prices

Last evening there was no indication that watersiders would accept employment this afternoon so that the remaining cargo can be discharged ’ Fruit Distributors. Ltd . and the Holm Company have asked the Lyttelton Watersiders' Union to work extended hours this afternoon until 5 p.m in an endeavour to discharge the remaining cargo, but no firm arrangement has been reached. Union Comment

Asked last evening whether watersiders would accept work this afternoon on the African Reefer, the president of the union (Mr E. L. Threadwell) said that normal procedure would be followed this morning. when the watersiders would consider any offer from the two companies after the watersiders began work at 8 a.m. The normal hours of 8 a.m. to noon would be worked, but he had no idea whether any watersiders would be available for work in the afternoon.

The chief officer of the African Reefer (Mr G Nicolaisen) said last evening that if a full day’s work were done all or most of the cargo could be unloaded by 5 p.m today. Mr Radley said that if the watersiders were prepared to unload bananas all day carriers would be waiting to bring the bananas to Christchurch. The auction markets would be open in the morning and if bananas were unloaded in the afternoon the markets would remain open. Bananas brought to Christchurch this morning would be sold in the market and also considerable quantities sent to Nelson and Marlborough. Mr Radley expressed the hope that the African Reefer would be fully unloaded today so that it could get back on to its run to the islands. Already it was a week overdue and it had to pick up 450 tons of cargo at Lautoka and continue to the other islands for a further cargo of fruit. If there was uncertainty when it would arrive there would be confusion about cutting times of fruit in the islands.