CITRUS FRUITS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 148, 8 June 1936, Page 6

CITRUS FRUITS

Shortage Will Cause Rise in Price MARKET POSITION The possibility of oranges in partir cular, but also other citrus fruits, taking u rise in price this week was mentioned to a reporter this morning by a Hastings wholesale fruiterer. It seems that oranges aro in short supply, and despite the fact that tho entry' of Australian oranges into .New Zealand "ill be throe mouths earlier than usual, it docs not appear likely that tho fruit will bo as cheap as anticipated recently. lor the most part Hawke's Bay traders go in for Cook Island oranges, mainly grown on tho island of Mangaia, but reports have come to hand that tho native growers on tho island aro attempting to secure a guaranteed price for their oranges. With this end m view it seems that they refused to pick their fruit for shipment last month to New Zealand by tho Waipahi upon the importers refusing to pay tho price demanded. Tho result of this stalemate was that the Waipahi was ordered to pick up about Bvoo cases from the islands of Mouke and Atui, instead of bringing her usual load of 12,000 cases. She is due to arrive at Auckland on Friday next.

“This upset in tiself would not bo of any great consequence,” said our informant, “but owing to tho waste that occurred in tho last consignment from tho islands, tho market for oranges is by no means over-supplied. There ha s been a terrific amount of waste of lato and it has resulted in a shortage that, in so far as provincial places, such as Hastings and Napier aro concerned, might be really acute.”

It was pointed out that owing to the bad condition of tho fruit the large shipment of Rarotongan oranges which arrived by the Maunganui at Auckland last week is now nearly finished. An idea of the condition of this fruit may be gained by the fact that over 50 per. cent, wast© was experienced in the repacking. Though Mangaia oranges ar» usually in much better condiion than that, tho experience was that a very big percentage of th© consignment was waste and this was the reason that the fruit was not cheaper than it would otherwise have been. Our informant also mentioned that Jamaican oranges were no longer arriving, and the first cargo of- fruit from South Australia since tho embargo Was lifted will not arrive until June 17. This will bo three months earlier than usual, the Government having authorised tho importation of some .50,000 cases from across tho Tasman Sea.

Ho was not sanguine, however, concerning the demand for these Australian oranges, for the reason that past experience had shown that the early crops were inclined to be somewhat bitter, and consequently were not held in high favour. However, with the curtailment of the other supplies and the tig loss in waste, it was possible that tbo Australian shipments would be disposed of at a somewhat higher price than would otherwise have been tho case.