SALE OF LEMONS

Waikato Times, Volume 132, Issue 21931, 9 January 1943, Page 4

SALE OF LEMONS

COUNT SYSTEM ADOPTED PRICES AT 1941 LEVEL. Agreement has been reached between | lemon growers and the Government on i marketing procedure and price for the ! 1943 season. a result of meetings held I recently in the three citrus areas of Keri- ! keri. Auckland and Tauranga. This was I announced yesterday by the Auckland manager of the Internal Marketing Division. Mr A H. Honeyfield. Regulations will shortly be gazetted. The purchase price will remain on the 1941 basis, but the method of purchase will change from classification according to grade to the system of sale by count. It has been found that consumers' demand is determined more by size, keeping quality and .iuice content than by any slight blemishing of the fruit. Under the wartime policy of stabilisation. wholesale and retail prices of lemons have been fixed on the 1941 level. Continuation at this level has been accepted ; bv growers with the proviso that, should 1 any further rise in costs occur, they will have the right to approach the GovernThe 1941 level of prices was designed to return the grower 8s 2d a loose bushel for marketable quality. As a result of savings in factory and marketing practice, coupled with the heavy wartime demand for lemons, no difficulty is anticipated by the Marketing Division or the growers’ committees in maintaining this figure for the war period. Local Supplies Only From January to June is the off season in lemon production in New Zealand. In normal times this seasonal falling-off of supplies is offset by importation of Australian and Californian fruit. The war situation in the Pacific has temporarily eliminated these sources of supply, so that, for the next six months. New Zealand will have to rely entirely on the limited quantity available locally. Lemons available in the January-June period would be insufficient to meet normal civilian and military requirements. ! stated Mr A. H. Honeyfield, Auckland ! manager of the Internal Marketing Divisj ion. yesterday. To assist toward equitable ' distribution. Auckland retailers had agreed Jto ration customers as far as possible. Priorities, such as hospitals, invalids and the armed forces, would be covered under the usual distribution arrangements.