NEW ZEALAND FRUIT

Southland Times, Issue 24889, 31 October 1942, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND FRUIT

Extension Of Control Likely

(Special) AUCKLAND, October 30. While old season fruit is being rapidly exhausted, the weather in the Auckland provincial district this spring has been very favourable for crops. Fruiterers consider, however, that control of Dominion-grown fruit will be largely extended in the new season, otherwise buying pressure caused by the needs of the armed forces will make staple varieties too expensive. In any event, civilian requirements are not likely to be fully met, even in late summer. The opinion is current in the trade that the instruction to the Internal Marketing Division to dispose of remaining stocks of apples in store was due to an order of the Price Tribunal that the wholesale price for apples should be fixed at 13/6, whereas recently it has been as high as 17/6 a case. The fixed retail price for any kinds as from Monday is 6d, against a range of from 6d to lOd per lb of late weeks.

This new departure is believed to form part of tire Government’s policy of price stabilization, and the maximum price will be lower than it has been for the past two years. In December 1940 apples were sold as high as £1 13/6 a case. Available supplies of this fruit, carefully eked out, should last for another month, it is considered. His share of the last shipment of bananas was sold by one man in five days, but others may have sufficient for another week or so.

Very few pears of the three varieties obtainable at this time of the year have been available for a month past. The gales of last Ferbruary played havoc with the fruit just as it was ready to be picked, and some orchards lost up to 90 per cent, of their pears. If New Zealand is at the beginning of a policy of complete fruit control, it will only be following in the footsteps of Great Britain. In the latter country all staple fruits, with the exception of pears and luxury lines, such as hothouse peaches, apricots, and grapes, are controlled.