THE PRICE OF ONIONS. Some Reasons for Their Scarcity

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11643, 22 August 1905, Page 2

THE PRICE OF ONIONS. Some Reasons for Their Scarcity

In regard to a cable from Melbourne last week announcing a "comer" in onions, the following, taken from the N.Z. Herald, may be of interest: — Onions are now about .£lB per ton, and there are not many to be Had at tluit price in Auckland just now. The" reported "corner" in onions in Australia, to which has been attributed the quotation of per ton in Melbourne, was referred to several Auckland dealers yesterday, and they did not know much about the Victorian market. A -line of 1500 -cases of about lewt each arrived by the last boat from San Francisco, and was expected to relieve local tension somewhat, but it did not, because both island boat's took away between them the greater part of this shipment, leaving only a small remainder for the local market. In Sydney the last boat from Japan, an extensive exporter of onions, brought down, a heavy shipment, which was not at all satisfactory so far as condition was concerned, and, owing to this, afforded no relief to the stringency of the Sydney market, or for Auckland, whence it was proposed, to re-ship a large quantity.

As a rule, the first Japanese and American onions arrive in .Sydney and Auckland respectively early in. September, but the shipments from America and Japan already referred to arrived a little too early.

It must not be imagined that New Zealand is unable tp be independent of Japanese and American , onion-raisers, but the bulb itself is not one of the best-keeping vegetables, and, besides, this colony returns the compliment so far as the States are concerned by fairly heavy shipments in March and April. It is merely a question of exchange of the products of lands with seasons opposite to our own. In view of the above, it may be interesting to note that in Wanganui onions are selling at 2 per lb, or about .£lB 10s per ton.