MARKET SYSTEM FOR BANANAS

Southland Times, Issue 23648, 25 October 1938, Page 4

MARKET SYSTEM FOR BANANAS

CANTERBURY BUYERS NOT SATISFIED BREAKDOWN IN SCHEME ALLEGED (United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, October 24. Dissatisfaction with the Government system of marketing bananas has been expressed by the Canterbury . Fruit Buyers’ Association in correspondence with the Director of Internal Marketing (Mr F. R. Picot). In a statement this evening, Mr W. J. Masson, a member of the executive, alleged that there had been an almdst complete breakdown in the marketing scheme, as before the week-end 80 per cent, of the city fruiterers were without stocks of bananas.

For this state of affairs the association blames the Government system of marketing, > under which, it is _ stated, serious abuses take place. Shipments of bananas arrive fortnightly at Lyttelton and they are allotted to various districts in pre-determined quotas. Christchurch buyers, however, cannot secure immediate delivery of the green fruit. Their entire quota has to be ripened first. South Canterbury and West Coast buyers and buyers from other districts are given immediate delivery of fruit which they can ripen in their own stores. “Should a shortage or increased demand set in in the West Coast and South Canterbury, buyers can obtain considerable additional supplies of ripened fruit from the Christchurch markets,” said Mr Masson, who explained that the fruit was sold at a fixed price, so that this particular abuse was not checked by competition for the limited supplies. This .had the effect of accentuating the scarcity of. the fruit in the city. “In his wisdom the Director of Internal'Marketing allows retailers in each district throughout the South Island to purchase their requirements green, but will not allow the same procedure in Christchurch. The result is that those dissatisfied with the size of their own pie take a slice from that provided for Christchurch,” Mr Masson said.