FRUIT IN SHORT SUPPLY

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 13, 15 July 1935, Page 10

FRUIT IN SHORT SUPPLY

GOOD PRICES RULING

EXCELLENT SEASON

"This is the best season for fruit and produce that has been experienced' for several years," said a member, of a * firm of fruit merchants to a "Post" reporter today. "Values," he said, "are high, and owing to the dry summer there has been no glut in any part of the season." Selling had been easy, and the prices should have been payable to growers.

During the early part of the season Ohakune had been the main supplier of cabbages and cauliflowers, and the growers of the district had experienced the best season for some years, and now that supplies from this district were no longer available the Wairarapa and Manawatu growers were supplying the market, and prices were still firm. All vegetables, in fact, had been selling at high prices recently.

"Potatoes," he continued, "have been sent from the South Island, and at no stage has there been an oversupply. During the past week there has been a considerable rise. Growers are hoping that, in view of the extremely high prices ruling in Australia, they will be able to send a shipment away. If this does eventuate the supply of potatoes here will become still shorter."

Owing to the recent hurricane in Rarotonga, he continued, the Government had allowed the importation of Australian oranges a month earlier than usual. Most of these were navels, and arrived in excellent condition. Before their arrival, the market had been dependent on California for . its oranges. "It is possible that there will be no more oranges from Rarotonga until the second crop has matured, in September or October." There were also mandarins shipped from Australia, he added, which arrived in good condition and met a ready sale. The prospects for pip fruit were exceptionally bright. Last season consignments of fruit held outside cool stores had not arrived until October, and it was therefore impossible to withdraw " coolstored fruit while low prices were ruling for orchard lines. There were thousands of cases of '• cool-stored fruit on the market from October to December, and the fruit scarcely paid for its storage. "This year," he said, "it is just the reverse. There is very little orchard fruit available, and cool-stored fruit will begin to unload early in August. The sales will be spread until December, making conditions far better for the grower."

Delicious apples, as in fact.with all red apples, were in short supply, owing to the fact that the Auckland district had lost most of its Delicious, and supplies had to be drawn from Hawke's Bay and Nelson.

"As far as bananas are concerned." he concluded, "there is a plentiful supply. Tongans, Samoans, and Fijis art arriving in splendid condition, As la the case with oranges, however, shipments from Rarotonga are small.".