FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30939, 21 December 1965, Page 9

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Good Supply For Holiday Most vegetables and fruits which housewives will require for Christinas will be in good supply. Bananas wilt be available in reasonable quantities, the normal supply from the Pacific Islands having recently been supplemented by a shipment from Ecuador. Oranges will be in short supply. A small shipment, arrived recently in Lyttelton but it would not be sufficient to meet the expected demand. Although only small quantities of stone fruits from North Otago have arrived at the markets, the quantities were increasing and more were expected later in the week. Cherries, peaches, plums and apricots were expected to be in good supply. However if there were severe rain in the picking area quantities of those fruits arriving at the markets could be affected.

The supply of strawberries to the markets yesterday was light, but that was because rain had fallen during the week-end In the picking areas. Reasonable supplies, however, were expected later on this week.

Local glasshouse tomatoes were in good supply and North Island and Nelson cucumbers were striving at the markets in good quantities. There is a good supply of green peas but, because of a small production, glasshouse beans are expected to be in short supply. The first of the new season’s pumpkins arrived at the markets yesterday and marrows have been available for about two weeks. Autumn-sown onions from Oamaru and Nelson were now coming on to the markets in sufficient quantities. Heavy supplies of potatoes from Oamaru, Nelson and hill-growers about Christchurch have been coming forward and the potato supply should be plentiful.