MARKET GARDENERS’ PLIGHT

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1071, 8 September 1930, Page 11

MARKET GARDENERS’ PLIGHT

OVER-SUPPLY OF PRODUCE GROWERS SHOWING LOSSES . Market gardeners depending on the Auckland market Have had rather a bad spin in recent months. At the moment, growers o« cabbages, cauliflowers and celery are selling at a loss. The season, generally, has not been a good one for the agriculturist. Early in year, onions and potatoes ottered m over-supply, and growers forced to sell as the produce reached* marketable age, in many instances showed debits rather than credits on their season’s operations. Potatoes have remained on very low price levels throughout the year, and even merchants handling Southern potatoes during the winter months have not been able to show a profit on the sagging markets. Green vegetables such as cauliflowers», cabbages and celery have been selling at low prices throughout the year, but, during the past lo days, new low levels have been touched and prices have been such that they show a big deficit to the grower, who has lo lace costs of cultivation, interest, manuring, cartage, commission, and sacks. Drumhead cabbages, which cost the farmer, after allowing for a bare wage, approximately 7s a bag to produce, are selling in the marts today at from 2s to 5s a bag of 18 to 24 cabbages. Cauliflowers have hardened slightly over the past three days, but prices for these are still on practically the same levels as cabbages.

“We can always expect a glut of cabbages and cauliflowers at this time of the year,” said Mr. H. Gladding, auctioneer for Messrs. Turners and Growers, this morning, “but supplies this year, particularly for cabbages and celery, are the heaviest on record. Over twice as much celery is offering as at this time last year.