Tomato shortage canses sharp rise in prices

Press, 8 October 1987, Page 16

Tomato shortage canses sharp rise in prices

Tomato prices ■■. in* creased markedly ia Canterbury this week as a result of a shortage of Auckland supplies. Price rises in the North Island meant that Auckland growers sold their produce on the. “home” market rather than send consignments to the South Island.' X-'-: ' ■: • •.• Although tomatoes were very expensive at the end of last week, one market said that prices, although still high, were at a similar level last year. <? A 4.5 kg box of Nelson tomatoes fetched between $34 and $3B, Canterbury tomatoes were at $34 to $4O, and a 7kg box of Auckland tomatoes were at $4B to $52. However, there, was generally more buoyancy in the market, with most fruits and vegetables quite plentiful. Some of the first Canterbury lettuces are now appearing, but these have yet to fetch the same prices as the popular Nelson produce. There is a lot of seeded cabbage about The Blen-

heim and Camera < cabbage is especially good fijir ' making - COtaSMWS. Some of the early sprtag cabbages are also stutthgto make their way on to the market and these have quite a nice flavour cooked, though the outer leaves may be hard. Red cabbages are becoming scarce and those still coming through are selling well. The Savoy variety ,has now finished its season.

Another salad vegetable gaining popularity because of ’•e warmer weather is the radish. It is fetching between ss> and $6 for 13 bunches, and picking up in quantity. The green and red Canterbury capsicums now arriving on the market are said to be of a better quality than the Austra'lian consignments. Both telegraph and short cucumbers are now being supplied by Canterbury growers. The white cucumbers consumers may have noticed in shops are a type of apple cucumber and are not acidic.

Good-quality Canterbury broccoli, silver beet and leeks were hard to find. Excellent spinach, fetching from $1 to $l4O a bunch, was in demand.

The arrival of Auckland celery while supplies are still coming from Christchurch and Oamaru has almost caused an plyWhile the old carrots are now taking on a woody texture, the first spring carrots from Leithfield added some life this week. The spring carrots, which are sold in bunches with their tops on, sold for $l4 a case of 20 bunches.

New Canterbury potatoes are expected next week, but consumers

could content themselves this week with the small quantity of old, popular, Jersey Bennes which are available.'

These are the first of the early potatoes . which arrive each year. They have a nice flavour until they start turning green. Jersey Bennes prefer, the Oamaru soil. This week’s consignment arrived from Oamaru; in the jEast there have.,, been. some, from Takaka ~ . .

Old potatoes were still generally cheap, at $l.BO to $3 a 20kg bag, while new Pukekobe potatoes were at $ll a bag. Rhubarb, $3. a case of four bundles, is not proving very popular. Although quite easy to grow, it is a slow job picking

and banal ww rMbaro. qrtirrii 1 '4MIV twb'. 4W ' jiuLiii jtfilii C*wfrsX' church. •;-. There is a temporary •“a* orodußCPb | . ; y WiBM trom a» Norm bland, espedally f >»« the ferries were not reMaMe. ■ -."-Jr;,.; : There are pihly et. Australian < Valencia •- ■ ZMIMa; ' i WMMB; W®° uaSTjtresli supplies of North Island orengm arrive; ■ •;' ' ";'"New : " ; Ze«iaad tt Mtbing up to $25 an 18kg carton, are also scarce although some of the Meyer variety are coming from ; Nelson. Meyer lemons are the smaller, smooth-skinned' variety. While they may have more Juice than standard lemons, they tend to have less flavour. This week the Splendour apple and Winter Nellis pear seasons ended.. Richared, Granny Smith, Stunner and Golden Delicious applies' were all available. ControUedatmosphere Packham pears from Australia fetched $34 an 18kg carton. A shortage of strawberries has had prices fluctuating quite dramatically, from $2 to $5 a punnet i Fuerte avocados, a light green colour, and Hass, the purple variety, were both available. - ■ Flowers . It is that time of the year in the flower market when many of the early spring flowers have ended and growers are still waiting for supplies of others to increase. , . There is more gypsophila about,-and prices Sr . up to $lO a bunch. e reason gypeophila does not flower particularly well at this time atyear is that it needs 16 . hours of spnshine day. . In winter. it must be kept , in lit glasshouses. a 4 . Ereerias, are selling very * well, with a good variety of colours, available. Good-quality glasshouse freesias were at between $1.50 and $5 a bunch of 10 stems. New in were the Bells of Ireland, and some cyclamen flowers.' t Mr Tim Armstrong, of Macfarlane and Growers, said that cyclamens used

*w-;Soboitartrai ot ■'! Tweedia IW,Qf the both u wSgflowen. Uiy of J theVMtey *J** xt ■ year. R Mrited. from.. 3 ss.bunch of ID I ■ Op* f action ar<TTQ ASPAHAVrUb ■ 'i« '--■■■'•''AND'’* v'--‘.w CHEESE casserot ,e ■' JViSt I Areddad iZdSkHrieevJl . XtbZpMfl«ar .z-.-i • « 1 «P Mft- , ■ 1 tsp minced ■ 2 hariHMled .eß*w| «<*< 4Ma MMnns rocßfi- " MSSffsrxZ® saucepan, stir ,in flour J gradually. Add milk, stir- Ji ring constantly. Cook until Xal mixture begins to thicken, ,1 add Sait and cheeee . ■! ■ reserving -K. cup cheem a for top. Stir until cheese is melted. Add onion and rice. Place alternate ri layers of rice mixture, W eggs and asparagus spears 1 in greasedlft quart cmserole dish. ■ JI • .■/Arrange- six spears.yM spoke-tashion - on top. ■■3! Sprinkle with remaining :4m U cup of cheese. Bake at ■ 30 minutes. -’1 GREEN SALAD 9 ‘ ■ TOSS . . -Il M small lettuce, -. tsra ; / J Mt* ssnaH pieces?1' can' cheaadd carrate •■ 1 -1 csp eaeamber, ' ■ / (skin m); • v® % green pepper, diced 1 T tbispa chapped sms- J i ® I Her* dressing; '-' - .. -.7 ,i;% swHN, ~ r : ■ ."- free at wmar :3WBBBH r tMspa - fresh ■■ juice . Jr'.;1 tMspn fresh •nags ' .-Ji jaice } generous shake salgd ' ■herbs • j/X: ' Method: Tom' the mMHfell ingredients in a medium- 7.1 sized salad bowl. dressing ingredients tom'through the salad. / t "W •' Selves four. - 7 '.mH