BANANAS FROM SAMOA

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 916, 8 March 1930, Page 10

BANANAS FROM SAMOA

PRICES IN DUNEDIN CRITICISM ANSWERED From Our Own Correspondent DUNEDIN, Today. Dunedin’s share, 1,150 cases, of the bananas brought from Niue and Apia by the Maui Pomare arrived on "Wednesday by rail from Lyttelton. Most of the fruit was in perfect condition, but a few cases contained over-ripe bananas. The latter were sold to the retailers at from 8s to 22s 6d a case. The highest price paid was 31s 3d, but only a few cases were sold at this rate. Selected bananas sold at 30s a case. The consignment was placed in the city shops on Thursday. “We intend to send bananas to towns having the most urgent need at the time,” said Mr. Harvey Turner, managing-director of the firm of Turners and Growers, Limited, this morning, in referring to the criticisms from Christchurch regarding the allocation and prices of Samoan bananas made by the Auckland contractors for the season’s output. Mr. Turner emphasised that the markets were ruled by supply and demand. Obviously, this was the main consideration. Bananas were a perishable commodity and another urgent consideration by the importers had to be the distribution possible as influenced by the condition of the fruit on its arrival. It was not remarkable that retailers complained when . prices were high because of fruit shortage; this was no more out of the ordinary than their satisfaction when prices were at a level to suit their trade.

There were losses in Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin on the first shipment of Samoan bananas sent to the South. The Christchurch suggestion to supply that centre with a regular quantity of Samoan bananas at a fixed price for the remainder of the year was simply absurd. Supply and price were dependent, obviously, on changing market conditions, demand, and- the state of the fruit.