POTATO PRICES LOWER

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32636, 18 June 1971, Page 8

POTATO PRICES LOWER

Potato prices are steadier on the Christchurch vegetable market this week, top quality table potatoes showing a decrease from last week’s peak of $2.70 a sugar bag.

This week best-quality potatoes brought $2 to $2.50 a sugar-bag wholesale and retailed at 8c to 10c for lib up to 65c for 101 b. Cauliflowers and new season’s spring cabbages are the most economical buy; apples and oranges are the best fruit buy of the week. Spring cabbages have just arrived and they are wholesale to $1.20 a case, retailing to 23c each; cauliflower is selling at 50c to $1 a case wholesale, and to 20c each retail.

Island oranges are now plentiful and are retailing at 15c for lib in the city, and 16c for lib in country areas. This is about 10c per lb less than for Californian and Australian oranges. Richared apples, one of the Delicious family, are the best apple variety available.

It is now the pumpkin season and North Island crown are retailing at 10c a lb. Butternut and buttercup pumpkins are scarce, retailing at 12c per lb and 9c per lb respectively. There appears to be a poor cropping season this year for parsnips; however, demand for them is continuing and the price is firm. They are at $1.60 to $2.30 a case, retailing to 15c per lb. Carrot harvesting is still being affected by the wet ground and their prices finned to $1.50 a case. Silver beet at 15c a bunch, and celery at 23c a head retail are abundant. Supply and demand for yams are steady and they are to $l.BO a case, retailing to 23c per lb. Leek supply is also steady, and they are retailing to 24c a bunch for best quality.

Southland swedes are retailing to 8c a lb. North Island kumeras are scarce and are fetching up to $5 a case wholesale, 19c per lb retail. Clean quality Brussels sprouts are retailing to 18c per lb. Island banana supplies have shortened and they are now on allocation to retailers.

A new shipment of Ecuadorian bananas should be available by the end of next week.

The supply of Chinese gooseberries has decreased, and for quality dessert fruit the price ranges from 35c to 50c per lb retail. Grapes are also scarce, to $1.35 per lb, retailing to $1.95 per lb. A shipment of island grapefruit brought $8.50 to $l2 a case. New Zealand grapefruit are to $5 a case, retailing to 29c per lb. Lisbon and Meyer lemons are now plentiful and these are to $2.90 a case. New Zealand mandarins are at $2.75 to $4 a case. Hothouse tomato prices remain high—4oc a half-pound retail. Tamarillos are available, retailing to 29c per lb.