SCARCITY OF FRUIT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3801, 18 January 1927, Page 10

SCARCITY OF FRUIT.

AN UNUSUAL POSITION. HIGH PRICES PROBABLE. “In my 45 years’ experience I have never previously known a position such as exists at present, when apples, oranges, and bananas are unprocurable,” said the manager of a local fruit market to our representative op Wednesday. This was followed by the rather surprising statement that raspberry jam would be the cheapest housewives could make this year. The market was very bare of fruit for this time of the year, he said, but an unusual position existed in regard to cherries, which were still coming forward in fair quantities. This, however, was very exceptional. The shortage of apples arose owing to the supplies of Canadian fruit running out. and the serious check fruit in Central Otago had received. Usually at this time of the year early apples from that district were being received, but quantities were not yet coming to hand. Australian oranges were finished, and the next shipment from America was due in a week. Fair quantities of peaches could be expected from Central Otago, though supplies would be shorter than usual. Apricots had suffered much more severely, and there would be practically no supplies of this fruit. Apple crops all through Otago had been seriously affected. Repeated frosts had been experienced, and gales and hail storms had had a deteriorating effect. . Pears, however, had escaped. Raspberries had been the only good crop. Outside-grown tomatoes would be very late, and prices would be fairly high. All fruit, he concluded, would be scarce this season, and high prices could be expected.