UNUSUAL SCARCITY OF APPLES

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 33, 3 November 1942, Page 4

UNUSUAL SCARCITY OF APPLES

Rapid Disappearance From Wellington Shops MARKET RELEASES SAID TO BE NORMAL

An unusual scarcity of apples has made itself apparent in 'Wellington citv Since the maximum retail price of all varieties was fixed at fid. per lb. on October 23. Formerly in comparatively plentiful supply, this basic household fruit has, for some reason, been disappearing with remarkable rapidity from shops in the main business area, and has this week become almost a rarity. IxWt week- there were released to Wellington city brokers by the Internal Marketing Department 614 bushel cases of Dougherty apples, 212 of Delicious, ami 200 of Stunners, but by Saturday there were signs of a shortage. This distribution by the department is stated to have approximated that made available for a week or two before the maximum retail price was fixed. Conceding that the price of 6d. per lb. lias stimulated the public demand, it is considered that there Is still room for inquiry as to why the apples have been disappearing so fast. Two weeks ago Stunners were selling at lOd. per lb. retail in Lambton Quay, when the top wholesale price was' 15/6 a bushel, and the average over the Wellington province for the wholesale market was 13/64 a bushel, which it was considered enabled the retailer to sell at 6d. per lb. at a fair margin of profit. The price of 10d. per lb. was considered absolutely unjustified, and the situation was soon adjusted when the maximum of 6d. per lb. retail and 13/6 a bushel wholesale was fixed. Apples were not scarce then. Yesterday inquiries made at five retail shops in Willis Street were fruitless in more ways than one so far a.s apples were concerned. . Only in one instance were they available, and these were Doughertys at the fixed price. It was, however, stated that supplies were expected today. Not for many years has such au apple famine been apparent in ’Wellington shops, and the consumer cannot understand why this should he so when releases of apples from cool store are declared to be about normal for this period of the year. The normal release of apples from storage for consumption in the Dominion is about 10,000 to 12,000 cases weekly at this time of year, and the whole policy is said to be dictated by wastage or storage conditions. Taking the risk of storage losses, the supplies available are being fattened out for the remainder of the season, whereas had all the fruit been sold in fresh condition It would have been finished by the middle of October, leaving the market bare for two and a half months till the first of the new season’s crop came to hand in January. .Present supplies, it is expected, will last till the end of November, leaving the market almost bare for four weeks. At present about 10,000 cases weekly are being distributed. Ou the basis of a crop of 3,000,000 bushels, it is estimated that the normal New Zealand wartime consumption is 41,000 bushels in November and 16,500 bushels in December. Stocks hold by the Internal Marketing Department as at October 31 ('Saturday last) were roughly 50,000 ibushels, consisting of 44,672 in store and about 6000 in transit.

During this year the peak of the selling season was reached between March and July, when apples were selling fresh from the orchard at 4/6 a bushel. However, the crop was down by 500,000 bushels as compared with the previous season, and the storage space reduced by 130,000 bushels, clue to priority having to be given to meat and dairy produce.