HIGH-PRICED APPLES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 155, 30 June 1916, Page 6

HIGH-PRICED APPLES.

WO SURPLUS IN DOMINION. DEMAND EQUALS SUPPLY. GROWERS' FEARS UNFOUNDED. PROGRESS OF THE INDUSTRY. There was consternation among New Zealand apple-growers when it was discovered, some months ago, that it would be impossible to get shipping space tor the export of their product. In Nelson the situation looked very gloomy, and J calculation of the prospective surplus made thp fruit farmers very sad indeed. Happily it turns out that they antici-1 pated a trouble which did not arise, and j thp whole of their crop has been ah-! Korbed within the Dominion at prices i which the most sanguine grower hardly | expected. A number of reasons have j contributed to this result, hut a review j of tho whole situation appears to give some justification for the belief that there, is room for very wide development in the fruit-growing industry. When it seemed inevitable that there would be a large surplus of apples it was thought that the public would have au almost unlimited supply at a very low price, but on a visit being made to I the markets tin's morning, it was found i that (he best dessert apple* were being' , sold from 8/0 to 10/ a case, while good I ! cookers \veri' in strong demand at from I "I to 0/ the case. "Those prices have been ruling for some time." said Mr. .7. It. Tonar, manager of the Waitemata Fruitgrowers' Society to a " Star " reporter this morning. "There is certainly not a surplus, .n fact, the Nelson people rather overestimated their crop, and there has been something of a shortage in Auckland." Mr. Tonnr went on to say that there '.vcrc evidences that the " public were eating more apples, and as the people I become more enlightened as to the wonjderful properties of the fruit there could be no doubt that tlrcre would be an even j greater demand. Tho prices being reai Iwed just now showed an all-round inI crease of 1/ per case over Hie price obtained at the same time last year. For some reason, possibly the mildness of the weathfcr. the fruit 'was not keeping so well as in former years. Questioned in regard to the import of apples and other fruit. Mr. Tonar remarked that the American shipments could not be looked for till about October. Formerly a large trade had been done with the Tasmanian growers, but this, had fallen off almost cntirclv. so that tho apples being consumed locally at the present time were almost entirrlv Now Zealand grown. Hardly any apples had been imported this year. Mr. Tonar said that he did not think the freights from the American coast would have any serious effect upon the Xcw Zealand import this year. "Indeed," said Mr. Tonar, "nlthough it is hardly within my province to discuss freight, we must be gratified with the fact that there is a decrease in freights forecasted. It indicates that the general outlook is better." Speaking of the possibility- of developing the apple-jrrowin;; industry, Mr Tonar raid that it had been proved years a<«i that New /ealnnd-both the North and | South Islands-could'grow apples of course a market would have to be found overseas, but already there were innuirles from different places for New Zealand grown apples. Jf a SUCcPSS t be made of the industry, great carwould have to be taken in order to prowith that grown elsewhere, and competing in the same market. Tlie ense is proceeding.