LEMON SCHEDULE WITH NEW RATES STARTS TODAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23218, 1 April 1950, Page 8

LEMON SCHEDULE WITH NEW RATES STARTS TODAY

A new price schedule for lemons, estimated to average about 10s per loose bushel over the year, was brought into operation today. Seasonal price variations are made more gradual, and the scale of returns is higher to encourage picking in tlie February-July period when picking costs are high.

A circular from the Marketing Department states there are nine price changes during the year, as against the five adhered to previously. The peak is reached in February when 13s 2d. is paid for preferred commercial grades and the rates are scaled down in five steps to 10s 8d in July The old 8s Bd. per bushel! is paid growers in the lowprice period of September, October and November.

The premium on the preferred classes is paid at the expense of the commercial grades Compared with the old rates, the new prices for commercial grades are sixpence a bushel! cheaper in June, July, December and February Is Gd cheaper in January and Is in March. Regular Pickings “Every endeavour should be made to pick regularly every four to five weeks " states the manager of the citrus section. .Mr. A. Everett. Auckland, “and so avoid over-mature fruit which shows a poor return to the producer and increases costs." To stress the importance of that need he explained that the following were the percentages of fruit lost in re-packim? at the markets for the nine months ended December 31. 1949:. — Auckland, .22 per cent; Wellington, 8.96 per cent; South Island, 4.10 per cent. The reason that Wellington losses were so heavy was that most of the lemons sold there were received at the depots ns coloured lemons, which were poor keepers. Since October 24. 1949, no tree Hoe lemons had been accepted into marketable grades, and there had been a marked improvement in keep ins Duality as soon as the October fruit had been quit. Lemons sent to the South Island mostly were selected from fruit that was received at the depots as silver and green which had a much better keeping life. Regular picking was the only method by which to minimise loss.