[Green-Activist] Cyclone Larry profiteering? Prices go bananas!

[kay]

Hi Roy

I was also very much aware of the increase in price here in Melbourne, in
fact prices went up the day after the cyclone and I assume that these
bananas were already in stock.

Who are the people getting the proceeds?  I bet its not the people
affected in the cyclone!

Kay

Roy Garner wrote:

> Dear Activists,
> Cyclone Larry.  A terrible disaster, with many lives and livelihoods
> disrupted, homes lost and soul-searching about life choices and the
> Future.  No one can deny that, and no one can deny the need for a
> national recovery response to rebuild homes (hopefully cyclone-proof)
> and other damaged infrastructure...
> But...
> With bananas now selling in Sydney stores from $5.95 to $7.95 a kilo
> and supermarkets displaying signs blaming Cyclone Larry for shortages,
> some must be wondering whether or not the high prices are really a
> consequence of banana crop destruction.
> After all, aren't bananas picked green? And surely all those flattened
> trees must have recoverable fruit on them?  ("Fruit"? some will tell
> you bananas are a herb, not a fruit)
> It seems that green bananas are pretty tough customers, and any
> sensible grower would make an effort to harvest them...
> Without further speculation on the alleged speculation, I'd be
> interested to hear from other activists who may have heard gossip on
> the grapevine, including these questions:
> What percentage of the crops was destroyed?
> How many growers attempted a post-cyclone harvest?
> How many harvested bananas are in cold storage?
> How does this yield compare with a good year's harvest?
> Can crops in other areas not affected by the cyclone (Coffs Harbour,
> for example) meet any anticipated shortfall in supply?
> Cheers
> Roy
>
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