ROOTS AND GREENS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 123, 20 November 1941, Page 11

ROOTS AND GREENS

UNSTABLE VALUES

SOME STRIKING FIGURES

Giving evidence before the Price Tribunal yesterday, Mr. A. Jacobs, president of the New Zealand Fruit Merchants' and Auctioneers' Federation, gave some remarkable figures showing the differences in the average prices of the principal vegetables in the Wellington markets in August, September, and October of 1939, 1940, and 1941. Roughly, the prices in 1940 were fairly stable over the three months. Outstanding exceptions were celery, which fell from lls lid a case in August to 3s 4d in October; and pumpi kins, which rose from 9s lid in August !to 29s 8d in September and 36s 6d in I October. On the whole, prices were much lower last year than in 1939. a fact which makes the exceptional rates now current all the more impressive.

In some cases, vegetables were dearer in 1939 than this year. The much-dis-cussed carrot, for instance, ran for the three months. 9s lid a case in August to 8s 2d in September, and 12s in October: this year's prices were 8s Id 6s Id, and 10s 9d. Pumpkins were dearer, too: 24s sd. 39s Id. and 41s 7d a sack in 1939; 9s, 22s 7d, and 35s 8d in 1941.

Cauliflowers in 1939 fell from 10s lid a sack in August to 7s Id in October; but this year, the prices were 8s Hid. 12s 2d, and 15s 9d in the thr.ee months. Cabbages ran 8s 7.Jd. 5s 3d, and 2s 5d in 1939; 6s Bd. 13s 2d, and 17s 3d in t941. Lettuces fell from 7s 8d a case to 3s 10id in 1939. They were dear in 1940—85. 6s lid. and 8s 3Jd— and this year's prices were 10s 3id, 12s 6d, and 7s 9d. Celery, which averaged 6s 4d in 1939. slumped in 1940 from lls lid a case in August to 3s 4d in October: this year the prices were 18s lOd in August, and 16s 3d in Septem ber and October. Leeks were 5s 3d. 2s lid. and 2t 6Ad a case in 1939: abou! 3s each month in 1940; this year. 10s 9d. lib lOd. and 22s 3d. Spinach fell from 10s ad to 5s 8d a case in 1939, and averaged about 7s last year; this year 17s 9d, 17s sd. and 16s 6d. • Parsnips, which ran about 5s a case in 1939. and ranged from 2s 6£d to 5s 9d rhis year achieved aristrocraey last niontti. the 1941 prices being 9s 2d, 7s Id, and 16s lOd.