NEW FRUIT SEASON

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24759, 6 December 1943, Page 2

NEW FRUIT SEASON

LOWER PRODUCTION STONE VARIETIES PATCHY A further substantia] drop in fruit production in New Zealand is expected this season owing to less favourable crop prospects, and to the decline in the areas in production. From the growing areas around Auckland there is no indication of a plentiful supply of Christmas fruit. Growers naturally are using 6very endeavour to get SU P~ plies to the market, but it is unlikely that demands will receive any substantial satisfaction until the season s later crops mature. The crop prospects for stone fruit are not up to average this season. In a number of orchards visited around Huapai, only one grower expressed any satisfaction with his prospective crop of plums and peaches, which orcharclists have looked upon as the most profitable side of their industry. Bad Weather in September The chief difficulty this season was the many wet days experienced in September. The unfavourable weather checked pollination, and blossom was burned by excessive rainfall and damaging wiuds. Even after the set crops showed a tendency to thin out more than usual. Early and mid-sea-son fruit were chiefly affected, late varieties giving promise of better results. Nectarines are reported to be very patchy, some growers stating that their fruit was so sparse as to be not worth gathering. Apples and pears, being hardier and later in blossoming, experienced better weather, and few complaints were to be heard about -the set of fruit obtained. Citrus fruits, too, looked well, and the next crop, particularly in grape fruit, should be above the average. Apple Supplies and Exports The apple yield, however, is likely to be reduced by the loss of orchard areas to other forms of production owing to the uneconomic conditions ruling in this branch of the industry. The deletion of orchard areas has become very marked in the Huapai district, where a grower of long standing estimates that, in comparison With 20 years ago, there is now less than halt the area in fruit farms. Only the strongest growers had weathered the difficulties of those years, and to-day they were feeling the strain. Apples are scarce on the market at present, and are likely to remain so until the new season's fruit commences to come forward early in the New Year. Official figures show that apple exports in 1937 totalled 36,081,7571b.; 1938, 57,6+2,9271b.; 1939, 37,980,5671b.; 15)40, 23,708.2721b. In 1941, exports fell heavily to 423,3011b., and in 1942 to 320,1901b., while for the first nine months of 1943, 178,2161b. has been exported, against 303,1101b. for the corresponding period of 1942. It has been stated that New Zealand commitments under lend-lease and in connection with the Dominion forces overseas have seriously affected the position as far as the domestic market is concerned. In details of lend-lease business given by Mr. Nash early last month, he .stated 'that 8,773.0001b. of apples had been made available under this arrangement. CITRUS PRICES FIXED WHOLESALE AND RETAIL Maximum wholesale and retail prices for citrus fruits grown in New Zealand and for Australian oranges have been i fixed under a Price Tribunal Order published in Thursday's Gazette. Principal interest attaches to the ceiling prices the Government has set for New Zealaud citrus fruits. A summary of the wholesale rates applying to the Auckland Province is as follows: — Lemons (per f bushel case). —12s 6d for count 88, to 21s for count ISO, and down to lis 6d for count 261. Variations for intermediate counts range within these limits. Meyer Lemons (per 2 bushel case). — November to April: Extra fancy and fancy, 255; commercial. 22s 6d. May to ! October: 20s and 17s 6d respectively, j Sweet Oranges (all varieties, per bushel case).—January to December: Extra fancy and fancy. 27s 6d; commercial, 20s. Oranges (poorman), New Zealand grape fruit, and other grape fruit (per bushel case). —May _to August: Extra fancy and fancy, 17s 6d; commercial, 12s (3d. September to October: 22s 6d, 17s 6d. November to April: 27s 6d, 22s 6d. Mandarines, Tangerines, Tangelos (per bushel case). —January to December: Extra fancy and fancy, 30s; commercial, 22s 6d. With reference to the sale of Australian oranges, retailers are ordered to display a prominent notice showing, in addition to the retail price and the count, the words "grown in Australia." Maximum retail prices in the metropolitan areas range from 6s a dozen down to Is 9d. according to count, and in other areas from 6s 6d a dozen down to 2s on the same basis. BUTTER IN HALF-POUNDS ATTITUDE OF GROCERS SOME RELUCTANT TO SELL Reluctance to sell butter in halfpounds is being shown by a number of Auckland grocers, with the result that their registered customers who need only half a pound a week are being supplied with pound pats, which they find impossible to keep fresh for a fortnight. Grocers are not obliged to sell butter in half-pounds, and some couples who. in order to have fresh butter, have been accustomed to purchase their weekly ration in two half-pounds do not regard with equanimity the prospect of having to buy one-pound pats. Stating that there had been no united move by grocers against the selling of half-pounds, Mr. R. M. Barker, secretary of the Auckland Master Grocers' Association, attributed the action of some retailers to the effect of a recent price order. This, he said, had fixed the maximum retail price "calculated at the rate of" Is Gd per pound. The effect was to fix the price of halfpounds at 9d, whereas previously grocers had charged 9}d, the extra half-penuv being added to compensate for the work of cutting, weighing and covering the open end of each halfpound. As the margin of profit on nutter was small and the work involved by rationing was considerable, the reluctance to sell half-pounds was understandable. RETAIL MEAT PRICES REPLY BY MINISTER (P.A.) WELLINGTON. Saturday "By recommending retail butchers to disregard the meat price order the New Zealand Master Butchers' Association is advocating a breach of the law," said the Minister of Supply, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan. "Butchers found breaking the price order will be prosecuted immediately. To the consumer the immediate effect of the butchers' proposed action would be an increase in the retail price of beef." The Minister said the present trouble arose from the fact that butchers, particularly in the South Island, had been paying a high price for fat stock—higher than the basic wholesale rates on which tlio price order was based. They were the main buyers at auctions in competition with one another. As an association the butchers were able to remedy this position. TROTTING DRIVER HURT (0.C.) HAMILTON, Sunday Head injuries and concussion were received by Mr. G. T. Mitchell, aged 45.~ of Cambridge, when the horse he was driving in the Cambridge Handicap at the trotting meeting at Claudelands yesterday stumbled and fell. He was admitted to hospital. His condition is not serious.