SCARCITY OF VEGETABLES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19376, 14 July 1937, Page 16

SCARCITY OF VEGETABLES

HIGHER LABOUR COSTS UNFAVOURABLE WRATTIER (Special to.the Herald.) AUCKLAND, this day. The opinion that the present scarcity and consequent high prices of a number of lines, of vegetables is largely due to the increase in the cost of labour and the shorter hours of work for market gardeners was expressed yesterday by a prominent Auckland fruit and vegetable retailer. “Any amount of cheap market garden labour was available a few years ago when youths and Maoris in particular worked for very low wages," the retailer stated. “Now, however, a different position exists. Labour is by far the most expensive part of vegetable cultivation, and with the introduction of the basicwage and shorter hours the growers have had no option but to decrease their list of employees and cut down their turnover.”

Climatic conditions have been another major cause of the existing shortage in supplies, the growth of most vegetables having been checked by poor weather and heavy rains. Damp has caused many vegetables to rot in the ground. Carrots have been a complete failure in many gardens owing to the ravages of giub pests. But for supplies from Ohakune and other more southerly parts, Auckland would have suffered a rea. scarcity of this vegetable.

The crops of lettuce and spinach have also "failed on account of the weather conditions, and the shortage of these vegetables is so acute that even poor quality lots bring higl prices. '