ONION SHORTAGE.

Waipawa Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 149, 12 September 1932, Page 3

ONION SHORTAGE.

MARKET BARE. AUCKLAND, Saturday. Owing to a shortage, caused principally by the delayed arrival of the steamer Melbourne Maru, which is bringing a direct shipment from Japan, onions hove advanced to a very high price on the Auckland market. Practically the only supplies available are a few Canadian onions and one or two very small lots from Pukekohe. These are realising up to 35s a cwt., which, according to merchants, is the highest price in a long period of years. Efforts have been made to secure some supplies through Sydney, but they were unsuccessful, and the market will remain bare until the Melbourne Maru reaches Auckland about next Thursday. Similar conditions are operating in Australia. In Melbourne last week onions brought £4O a ton ill the

wholesale market, a record price for at least 15 years. By the time the onions reached the public they were worth 6Jd a lb., or 2d each. American onions are now arriving on the Australian market, and will relieve

the position there until the Victorian Early Globes become available toward the end of the year, hut at present the importation of Califorian onions to New Zealand is prohibited, the restriction being imposed on account of the prevalance of foot and mouth disease in the United States. The markets in New Zealand, in spite of importations from Australia. Japan and Canada, lias advanced steadily since the beginning of this year from round 7s to 9s a toil to the

iresent figure. Considerable quantiies were exported to Australia, prinipally from the South Island, and he enhanced prices received should irovide much-needed impetus to the ilanting and cultivation of this vegeable.