WALNUT GROWING

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LXIV, Issue 6582, 3 November 1939, Page 1

WALNUT GROWING

IMPORT RESTRICTIONS ON FOREIGN NUTS Low Prices I aid for Nuts in Recent Years The last schedule of import restrictions of imported ; goods, issued on October 26, provides for a 50 per cent restriction of walnuts from foreign sources. Enquiry into the walnut growing, position on Banks Peninsula; shows that the influence of shelled nuts-im-portation, the origin of which is stated to be mainly China, has resulted in low values for nuts being paid for a good many years now. When walnuts were sold at prices ranging up to lOd per lb local owners, of .walnut trees had quite a good income from their trees, but at the present time the price offered for nuts is 5d per lb, and we understand, shelled nuts realise' ls 6d per lb. The price of 5d per lb, does not, in the opinion of growers spo"ken to on the subject, pay for their harvesting. The harvesting involves threshing the trees, cleaning and drying and picking over; aind since -the black speck has infested the trees there is. a very considerable proportion of the harvested nuts rejected. This disease varies considerably according to the season, in some seasons the nuts being hardly affected at all, while last year it resulted in a very heavy re- ; jection of affected nuts. The return cf approximately £2 per sack for harvested walnuts is a very poor return for the grower, considering the labour involved. The Pickling of Walnuts The pickling of walnuts and harvesting of the green nuts was commenced in this district last season and accounted for about 150 sacks of harvested nuts according to one authority. The green walnut industry will probably grow and this will reduce the price of harvested nuts, from . the district. walnut crop are the present time. It is considered that over 1000 sacks are harvested in thefchree counties, each season, and this i.*> probably a very conservative estimate. Akaroa walnuts are well-known on the New Zealand market and were ;it one time, a renumerative source of income for the district, but at the present price, many growers do not bother to pick them up. If the import restrictions result in the price of nuts !>eing raised from 6d to Sd per lb local growers of nuts will certainly be much more interested in harvesting them.