Produce Wholesalers Deny Four-Day Closure

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30802, 14 July 1965, Page 8

Produce Wholesalers Deny Four-Day Closure

A denial that Christchurch produce markets closed for four days at Christmas and again over the New Year, and that “several thousand” cases of plums had been sold at auction for Is 6d each about this time was made yesterday by the secretary of the Christchurch Fruit and Vegetable Wholesalers’ Association

(Mr J. B. Taylor) in a supplied statement.

Mr Taylor was referring to remarks made by the chairman of the stone fruit section of the Canterbury Growers’ Association (Mr A. W. Shields). In “The Press” of June 1, Mr Shields was reported as saying that as a grower he had no complaints about the marketing system, but he was speaking for growers who did.

The prices growers were getting were not keeping pace with the higher costs of materials and cases, and between Christmas and New Year several thousand cases of plums had been sold at auction for Is 6d each. Growers had not received such low prices for 20 years. Over-ripe Plums

A lot of the plums had been over-ripe, but this factor had been accentuated by the markets closing down for four days at Christmas and again over the New Year. His members had been astounded to read of Mr Shields's innacurate remarks, Mr Taylor said. “If Mr Shields took more notice of what occurred he would know that the Christchurch markets closed on Friday, Christmas Day, and on Monday, Boxing Day; also Friday, New Year’s Day, and the following Monday. “Open on Saturday”

“Out of consideration for growers with highly perishable fruit, the Christchurch markets opened on the Saturday after Christmas Day and also on the Saturday after New Year's Day. Mr Shields should make sure of his facts

before making loose and derogatory statements. He may now care to give the Christj church merchants credit for doing something which we are sure was done in few, if any, other centres in New Zealand. “The four markets have abstracted figures of costs for the two Saturdays concerned, and, omitting all other expenses and taking wages only into consideration, all of the companies showed considerable loss. This was substantially because through lack of support from growers, very little fruit was marketed and thus totally inadequate commissions were earned.

“As a result of the remarks made by Mr Shields, the wholesalers cannot avoid wondering whether their efforts in opening the markets on these two Saturday mornings, and also on other occasions when heavy overtime is involved, are appreciated. They will certainly seriously consider whether they will act similarly during the coming Christmas and New Year periods. “My members received a further shock when they read

of Mr Shields speaking of ‘several thousand cases of plums’ sold at auction between Christmas and New Year at is 6d a case.

“Plums were late this year and fruit which would normally have been marketed earlier clashed with the holiday period, and growers unavoidably suffered. The auctioneers’ records, however, reveal prices as high as 20s a case during the Christmas and New Year week. Few indeed were sold as low as the Is 6d mentioned by Mr Shields.

“A summary of the total sales indicates something less than 100 cases, which ill accords with the figure of ‘several thousand’ stressed by Mr Shields.” Books Offered His members would be quite happy to submit their books for investigation by an independent auditor, paid by Mr Shields, to substantiate the statements on running losses on the Christmas and New Year Saturdays, and also the number of cases of plums sold at the ruinous figure mentioned by Mr Shields, Mr Taylor’s statement said.