CITRUS FRUITS

Southland Times, Issue 22378, 18 July 1934, Page 11

CITRUS FRUITS

SHORTAGE AT DUNEDIN. SUPPORT FOR LIFTING EMBARGO. A shortage of citrus fruits is causing concern in Dunedin, and retailers m particular are actively supporting the campaign for the immediate lifting of the embargo on these fruits from all the Australian States. “The position at present is very urgent, as we are confronted with a famine in oranges from all sources of supply,” said Mr H. A. Newall, secretary of the Otago Retail Fruiterers Association this morning. “The Monterey’s shipment of grape fruit, oranges and lemons from America was declared ‘black,’ and consequently no supplies arrived in the South Island. The same position has now arisen with the Mariposa, which arrived in Auckland on Friday last, and Otago can hope for no citrus fruits to come forward from this vessel. “As no oranges will arrive in New Zealand until the arrival of the Karetu on July 24 at Auckland from the Cook Islands, the position is very alarming. Transhipments cannot arrive in Dunedin until the last day in July, and the deterioration in Island oranges has been so bad that we can expect only 50 per cent, of the shipment to be sold. With influenza and measles fairly common,. and calling for a full supply of oranges and lemons at reasonable rates, the public can hope for little in this direction. Grape fruit, lemons, and oranges from California are unprocurable. New Zealand lemons of poor quality will have to» keep the market supplied. “It is to be regretted, in view of cabled reports that a satisfactory trade agreement has been arrived at between the Commonwealth and New Zealand, that nothing, so far as New Zealand is concerned, has been done to restore the normal conditions of trade between the two sister colonies. It seems ridiculous that oranges, lemons, and mandarins are so splentiful in Australia, and cannot be found a market, the Federal Government having to subsidize the New South Wales mandarin growers to the extent of £lO,OOO to keep them off the dole, while we in New Zealand are starving for supplies.”