Produce scene Californian grapes due next week

Press, 5 August 1977, Page 2

Produce scene Californian grapes due next week

The first shipment of Cali-j fornian grapes for this season is expected to arrive in Christchurch shops by the end of next week.

They will be the cardinal variety — big, sweet, deep red v rapes. The first shipment is expected on Monday. There are very few New Zealand grapes available at this time of the year, and so the cardinal grapes, although expensive, will be in demand. Their attraction to the retailer will be their iongkeeping quality. Refrigerated during travel, the grapes usually arrive in New Zealand in very good condition.

Island bananas were available this week but supplies could be exhausted by early next week. However, a new shipment of Ecuadorean bananas will arrive today and should be available to retailers next week. Good supplies of New Zealand grapefruit were at the markets yesterday. It was easy to see that a little extra care taken by the grower in the presentation of his fruit pays, as the $8 to $8.50 cases of grapefruit — spray-waxed by the grower to improve the appearance and the shelf life — were much more in demand than the $7 cases of untreated fruit.

Australian pineapples have been selling at $l7 to $21.50 a case and further supplies are expected on August 10.

Californian nectarines, cherries, and plums are still

coming to the markets, and sub-tropical fruit from the North Island is still in good supply. Mandarins sold yesterday at $6 to $l6 a bushel and kiwi fruit was $8 to $l2 a half-case. Passionfruit sold at $2 to $3 a quarter-case, and tamarillos made $4 to $6 a case.

Cauliflowers have been very reasonably priced for the last week or two as a lack of frost has meant supplies are better than usual for this late in winter. A bag of eight cauliflowers isold for 85c to $2 at the i markets yesterday — a much lower price than usual for the season. There has been a marked increase in the price of parsnips, and carrot prices are also up. Supplies of these vegetables have been

affected by the recent rain and many growers are having difficulty harvesting them because the ground is so wet.

Parsnips have risen from an average of $2 a bag last week to $4 to $5.20 a bag this week. Carrots are also up from about $2 to $3 a bag to $2.50 to $4.50 a bag this week. The bad weather has meant lower supplies in the short term, because harvesting is difficult. In the long term, the weather could be responsible for diminished supplies by the end of the normal season —September and October — when growers find just how much of their crop has rotted in the ground. There was quite a variation of quality in brussels sprouts this week. They sold for $2 to $3.60 a bag. Spinach made $2.50 to $2.90 a case and leeks were $3 to $3.80 a case. Mushrooms continue to fetch higher prices this week, buttons selling at up to $7.90 a tray and open mushrooms up to $8.50 a tray. i

Aucklrnd tomatoes, in 7kg cases, sold at tip to $14.50 and local tomatoes were up to $lO.BO a skg case. Cabbage prices are still up slightly at $2.60 to $3.80 a bag for drumheads. Savoys were $1 to $1.60 a bag. Potatoes are still in heavy supply and prices continue to be very low. Mature root ginger is now appearing at the markets, and is selling at $lO for a 101 b carton.