CHRISTMAS MENU

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24141, 6 December 1941, Page 12

CHRISTMAS MENU

SCAECITY OF POULTBY HIGH PRICES EXPECTED . Fewer people, than usual in Auck-' - land will sit down to a Christmas din-' ner of roast poultry this year, in the opinion of men with years of experience in the wholesale trade, who are predicting high prices and an acute shortage of supplies. Turkeys will be especially scarce and many housewives who customarily gave them the placeof honour on the festive menu - to rely on roast cockerel or lamb. Although usually at this time of the year turkeys are being auctioned in Auckland at the rate of 60 or 70 a day, not one was procurable at yesterday's sales at the City Markets. Duces, drakes and geese also are in short supply and, unless poultrvkeepera ain holding them back until the last moment, supplies of cockerels this Christmas will be scarcely sufficient to satisfy the demand. One large wholesaler who provides aC number of city .; hotels and restaurants with their Christ-- ~ mas poultry holds out little hope of fulfilling all the orders that have been placed with him. The scarcity of poultry is attributed* to the high price of 'fowl food, which has made the rearing of poultry for the table an unprofitable business' Every year sees a. decrease in the h um* : ber of small producers on whom the market mainly depends for its stocks. As .a result, prices have displayed an : upward tendency for several years past. Last Christmas poultry was approxi* mately 2s'a head dearer than the previous year and the prospects ave that- ■ it will" be higher again this year. Given fine weather, housewives' should have no difficulty in procuring plentiful supplies of the chief varieties of vegetables for their Christmas dinner; although prices will be appreciably higher than last year. New potatoes and green peas are coming forward in increasing quantities.' No Christmas menu is completed ; without strawber- ; ries and cream, and indications are thai , this fruit will be plentiful during the holiday period, with prices on a par: with those ruling a year ago.