ONION SUPPLIES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20674, 12 March 1937, Page 14

ONION SUPPLIES

REGULATION OF PRICES OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, March 11. A statement as to the regulation of onion supplies and distribution was issued by the Minister of Industries and Commerce to-day. “For many years past,” said the Minister, “onion growers have experienced difficulty in disposing of onions at prices which compensate them for thc cost of production. The fact that New Zealand growers are unable to produce sufficient for the total domestic requirements has necessitated importations from Japan, Canada and California at certain times of the year. The variable keeping quality of locallyproduced onions, combined with the lack of knowledge of stocks and the crop position, has often resulted in extreme gluts or shortages, and has also necessitated merchants undertaking importations based on insufficient knowledge of the true stock position. Thus on the one hand producers have been liable to receive extremely low returns and on the other hand merchants have often lost considerable sums of money. The Government has undertaken a thorough investigation of the position and has deemed it desirable in the public interest to formulate regulations governing the supply and distribution of onions in the Dominion.” Prices and Charges The Minister, in issuing his statement, also made available a digest of the regulations, which do not apply to the retail sale of onions. All onions sold wholesale must be either first grade, second grade or picklers, ungraded or under grade. Onions may be sold only by public auction. The minimum prices at which graded onions may be sold are fixed as follows:

First grade—£s/5/- a ton (22401 b f.o.b. or f.o.r. nearest place where grown, sacks extra. Second grade—£4/5/-. Pickier grade—£3/5/-. The rates of commission chargeable for the handling and sale of onions of any grade or classification are fixed as follows: Autioneer—lo per cent, of the gross sale price, plus Id per bag as handling charge, both charges payable by the vendor. Distributing merchants and agents—per cent, of the f.o.b. or f.o.r. price, sacks excluded, such charge to be paid by the purchaser; broker’s commission of 2/6 a ton payable by the broker’s principal. Control of Imports Complementary to the regulations governing the conditions of sale, the import position is being controlled through the Customs Act by which it will be illegal to import onions other than with the consent of the Minister of Customs. Every onion grower is required to forward to the DirectorGeneral a monthly return showing his crop and stock position as at the end of the month and giving particulars of the quantities of onions sold or delivered for sale on consignment during the month. All sellers of onions, whether as principals or as agents, must also submit a monthly return giving particulars showing the quantities of onions sold during the month, the quantity received for sale on consignment during the month, and the quantity held for sale at the end of the month.”