Potato prices same as they were 20 years ago

Press, 18 June 1976, Page 2

Potato prices same as they were 20 years ago

(By TERRY McGOVERNE) Twenty years ago, the Christchurch housewife could buy for 10 shillings a sugar-bag of potatoes, or 71b of butter, or 12 loaves of bread, or 40 pints of milk. For the equivalent money today she can still buy a sugar-bag of potatoes (at the market), or 2jib of butter, or less than four loaves of bread, or 12j pints of milk. While most food prices have soared since 1956, the price of potatoes is the same. This remarkable position is by no means peculiar to potatoes, however. Prices for carrots, parsnips. onions, cabbages, cauliflowers, pumpkins, and lettuces are not even a fraction more than they were in 1956. There is no evidence to suggest that the price of vegetables has contributed to the increase of the consumers’ price index. At the annual conference of growers in Christchurch yesterday delegates from one end of the country to the other bemoaned the “pittance” they were getting for their produce. And well they might. Nobody engaged in any other industry gets the same pay as he did 20 years ago. BIDDING SLACK While all the wailing was going on at the conference the vegetables were changing hands at the markets at bedrock prices. The bidding was slack and the attendance of buyers pitiful. Bags of best quality carrots made at best only 3c per lb, and the less attractive ones made IJc per lb. Parsnips went from 3c to 5c per lb, and potatoes at one of the two markets were down to $1 a bag. The sale of green vegetables was also depressing: cabbages fetched 40c to 80c for bags of eight, spring cabbages made to $1 a case of eight, and red cabbages to gl 40 a case. Large snow-white cauli-

flowers unblemished by frost or dirt could make only 15c, and brussels sprouts brought 25c to 30c per lb. LETTUCES UNSOLD

The lettuce market was very sick. The Oamaru supplies fared not too badly, bringing to $1.20 a case of 12, but local supplies were worth almost nothing. There were 150 cases left on the floor at the end of the sale. Silver beet firmed a little in price, fetching to $1.60 a case, and spinach, now being knocked about by the frost, brought to $2.60 a case. The best lines of celery made only 15c a stick, though the stalks were long and crisp. The presentation of the celery drew some criticism from the senior horticultural adviser for the Ministry of Agriculture in Christchurch, Mr Bill Brandenberg, who urged growers to cut the top leaves right back. This would prevent the edible parts from being drained of moisture. TOMATO CARTONS Tomato sales are at present a bone of contention among growers, auctioneers, and buyers. Based on yesterday's sale it was impossible for auctioneers to say what the averaee price was per lb because the tomatoes came in cartons of greatly varying size. The -ange of prices was $6.50 to $8 for cartons ranging in size from 4jkg to 9kg. The auctioneers say that until there is some reasonable uniformity in size of cartons it will be difficult to do justice to growers. TTie markets report adequate supplies of local apples and more Australian oranges are due today for sale on Monday, with more bananas from Ecuador. Mandarins from the North Island are wholesaling at 20c to 40c per lb, and kiwifruit from 20c to 30c per lb. For people who can afford

to throw goldfish to their cats, there are cherries from California at $1.55 per lb and Californian nectarines at 40c each. RETAIL PRICES In Christchurch shops swedes are retailing for from 10c to 12c per lb, carrots for from 10c to 12c per lb, parsnips for from 12c to 20c per • lb, and cabbages for from 18c to 35c each. Potatoes were selling for between $1.79 and $2.20 a sugar-bag, and at 111 b for 65c. Pumpkin was fetching 15c to 18c per lb. Lettuces were selling for from 10c to 35c each, onions from 10c to 15c per lb, mushrooms from $1.20 to $1.56 per lb, brussels sprouts from 35c to 39c per lb, and yams from 45c to 50c per lb. Spinach retailed at be-

tween 25c and 30c a bunch, celery for from 25c to 45c a bunch, broccoli from 45c to 60c per lb, silver beet from 15c to 25c per lb, leeks from 18c to 20c each, cauliflowers from 20c to 40c each, kumara from 40c to 48c per lb, and tomatoes from 35c per lb to 90c per lb. Mandarins were selling for from 35c to 50c per lb, tamarillos from 35c to 45c per lb, kiwifruit from 35c to 59c per lb, Island bananas for 25c per lb, and grapefruit from 25c per lb to 48c per lb. Nectarines were not retailing in all city shops, but one shop quoted the price of 50c to 55c a peach. Cherries were not retailing in all shops either, but one price given was 65c a quarterpound.