FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17144, 25 April 1919, Page 7

FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

GENERALLY HIGH PRICES. PEOSPEOTS FOB FUTURE. EFFECT OF DRY SEASON. Fruit «d vegetable prices are at present generally high. With tie early arrival of j large consignment* of island fruit, how- ! ever, and the possibility of fair supplies of Southern apples becoming available within the course of a few weeks, the fruit market) : is expected to ease a little at an early date. j An explanation of the state of the fruit market wa3 given by a prominent dealer yesterday. .In reply to a suggestion that bananas were being sold at an inordinately high rflice, he stated that, although Una fruit was received'all the year round, the period from February to June was considered the "off" season. Fruit picked then had a tendency to become " frosted," or go black, instead of ripening. Early in the week a consignment of 16,000 cases and 3000 bunches was landed at Auckland. This fruit, the first received for some time, was in good condition, and a large portion was shipped South. Higher prices reBulled, i-ocal quotations for green fruit in the bunch or cased were from 2Jd to 2jjd a pound wholesale. A few very choice cases, averaging 801b, realised 22s 6d, roughly 3Jd per lb, wholesale. This price, which was considered high for this time of the year, was attributable to the recent dearth of ships plying to the islands. " The prospects at present are now most encouraging, the dealer' continued. Early next week the Flora is due' at Auckland with a cargo of bananas and oranges from I the Cook and Sooiety Islands the Paloona is due at Wellington with, a similar cargo; I the following week the Moana is expected at Wellington, and the Talune will bo due to arrive here on the retmrn trip from Fiji on or about May 10. " We shall thus hava a better supply of island oranges and bananas than we have hut at any time during the last twelve months," added the informant. The only oranges at present obtainable are imported from America, with a few odd cases of island fruit. Cares of the former, containing from 160 to 216, sold yesterday at 50s, "oi sid to 4(1 an orange, some of the latter reaching 27s a case. The island orange season is cow just commencing. Sydney oranges are cot available. Lemons are exceedingly scarce, Americas fruit selling at 4£s a case of 360. Owing to the dry weather, the local crop has not been very successful. Prices are, therefore, considered likely to remain firm. Nelson apples have been in fair supply, Jonathans selling at 7a 6d to 8s case of 401b. " This price must not bo considered too high," continued the dealer interviewed. " When it is considered that on each case the freight, cartage, and other charges amount to 4s, the grower cannot be said to be making a heavy profit when he receives 3s 6d or less for 401b of

apples." Large quantities of Southern apples, he said, were being placed in cool storage. There were not many local apples about. Fears were in keen demand. As the crop had not been anito as abundant as that of last year, good prices had been ruling, large cases realising from 12s 6d to 16s yesterday. The market is almost bare of small fruits. A few tomatoes' are to hand from Hawke's Bay and Wellington. Choicest local reached 4s 6d a case of 181b yesterday. Passionfruit are practically over, the drought baring shortened the season. A few hothouse grapes sold at high prices. rThe local vegetable supply, especially in small varieties, continued the speaker, had been badly affected by the recent drought. Cabbages, carrots, turnips, and pumpkins had been realising exceedingly high prices. For instance, cabbages, of not very high quality, sold at 7s a dozen wholesale yesterday. That was in great measure attributed to the prevalence of cabbage fly. Pumpkins and citron melons were quoted at 10s and 5s a cwt. respectively. No immediate decrease in the price of onions now selling at 9b 6d to lis a cwt., was predicted, but Southern potatoes, now quoted at £10 15s a ton, were expected to be cheaper within a month or two.