BUSY MARKETS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 149, 21 December 1945, Page 6

BUSY MARKETS

PRODUCE AND POULTRY

The usual pre-Chrisimas rush is on in Wellington produce markets. During the last day or so tons of -vegetables from the Hutt, Levin, and Otaki have been streaming through local auction rooms on their way to retailers' shops, to meet the usual keen consumer demand. Today there was again high-pressure activity as hardworked auctioneers sold off lot after lot.

Supplies of all wanted vegetables, they state, have been good, and there will be plenty of peas, Cauliflowers, cabbage, lettuce, beetroot, and so on to go round. Potatoes have been in particularly good' supply, and the quality of the produce has' been good. For some reason -it is difficult to define, the prices have tended to be lower when compared with those ruling last Christmas, but it has not been because of any slackening in the demand, which has been as lively as ever. , , Luxury lines have not been cheap. Only half the quantity of strawberries expected reached the market today, because of we.t weather in Auckland, and this morning they were bringing up to 6s 6d a punnet. More are expected tomorrow. Cherries are in short supply owing to the late season in the South Island and shipping difficulties, and stone fruit, though late, is in fair supply only. Best peaches were bringing from 15s to 22s 6d a case this morning, and plums from 10s to 20s. Tomatoes found their usual ready sale at up to Is 6d a lb. There arrived this morning m nice time for the Christmas trade ment of water-melens from Fiji. . POULTRY SUPPLIES. Turkeys will not play their usual prominent part in the festivities this Christmas. There have been very few reaching the market lately, and the demand, which has been most keen, has switched to other lines of table poultry. Every day this week merchants have reported heavy yardings, and every daj-- there has been a complete clearance. Prices have remained much about normal, except that ducks, which have been in plentiful supply, have been cheaper. The few turkeys offering brought from 2s .to 2s 6d a lb live weight. In the dressed poultry section, chickens yesterday brought up to 2s 2d a lb, ducks 4s to 10s each, and geese 10s to 11s each.