FRUIT IMPORTATIONS.

Shannon News, 13 April 1923, Page 2

FRUIT IMPORTATIONS.

The importations of fruit, peanuts, onions, etc., into Auckland during the year ended March 31 totalled over 400,000 cases, and this total would obviously have been materially augmented had there been a regular steamer running to the Cook Group, and shipping had not been handicapped by the seamen's strike.

The importations of bananas consisted of 217.084 cases, while oranges totalled 07,880 cases. Other imports were: Apples, 21,500 cases; tomatoes, 16,982; onions, 14.700; mandarins, 13,061; pine-apples, 6972; peanuts, 5100; passion fruit, 1000; walnuts, 2300; cherries. 1500; almonds, 1500; grapes, 900; and other fruits, 2260. Very l’ew lemons were imported during the past. 12 months. Sydney supplied a certain number of cases, but as compared with imports a few years ago, when thousands of cases came in annually from Australia and California, the amount received was very small. This is a clear indication that home-grown lemons are now available in such quantities as almost to meet the local demand.

The Cook Islands supplied nearly all the tomatoes and oranges received. During the past few months there has been no steamer service between Auckland and these Islands, but the regular fruit-carrying steamer Flora will resume her service on Saturday. Fiji supplied practically all the bananas received by Auckland, and imports until lately, have been of rather Interior quality. It has been found that many inferior bananas are packed in the centre of cases. China and Japan supplied Auckland with peanuts, while onions were imported from Melbourne and San Francisco. and mandarins and a certain quantity of oranges from Sydney. So far as peanuts are concerned, the large amount imported during the past year constitutes a record.