DEARER VEGETABLE PLANTS

Wanganui Chronicle, 6 May 1947, Page 4

DEARER VEGETABLE PLANTS

GROWERS GET ONLY 16% INCREASE REPLY TO RETAILERS’ STATEMENT Increased prices of cabbage, lettuce, cauliflower and broccoli plants announced last week one of the first since depression years and represent an increase to the growers of only 16 2/3 per cent, and not 50 per cent, (as claimed by the retailers) declared a Wanganui nurseryman on Saturday. The price had been increased, but the size of the bundles had also been increased and this factor, when taken into consideration, put. a different complexion on the position than that given by the retailers, he asserted. Cabbages plants, which previously came at 15 for 6d. are now 25 for Is, he explained. Lettuces, formerly 20 for 6d. are now 25 for 9(1. Rather than getting Id. less per bundle, retailers would be getting more, he said, as not. all of the addition price would be going la the grower. “In no other town were re toilers getting their vegetable planus as cheaply as they do in Wanganui.’ Few of the bigger nursery concerns would bother about growing vegetable plants, as there was little Intone./ in il, and this work was I unde;taken as an obligemcnt to the public. I Instancing the poor financial reI turn to the grower, this nurseryman | said that he could spend the w hole ol i a winter’s morning digging cabbage plants. As the result of half-a-day’a w'ork he would have *lO bundles—worth 10s to him. “To suggest that there has been a 50 per cent, increase in price when the size of the bundles have been increased is very wrong” lie said. ‘The actual increase to us is 16 2/3 per cent., and that is considered that this is the first increase in 15 years, despite a. steady rise in the cost of labour and fertilizers,’’