CITRUS FRUIT TRADE

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21456, 24 April 1935, Page 12

CITRUS FRUIT TRADE

RUMOURED AGREEMENT WITH JAMAICA

MINISTER KNOWS OF NO NEGOTIATIONS

From enquiries made yesterday it does not appear that the Government has gone quite as far in negotiations with Jamaica for a trade agreement as recent reports from Australia indicate. The Cabinet Minister most likely to be associated with any such agreement, the Hon. R. Masters, knows of no negotiations of the sort, and men closely interested in the fruit trade with Jamaica, while expecting some such development, state that they have heard of nothing definite. Last week "The Press" published a report which had appeared in the. "Citrus News," the official organ of the Federal Citrus Council of Australia, which stated that it was understood that New Zealand v/as in the process of negotiating with Jamaica a trade agreement to facilitate the importing of citrus fruits here. The article was written by a high official in the industry in Australia, who seemed very well informed, particularly of the conditions in New Zealand. But yesterday the Minister for Industries and Commerce, the Hon. R. Masters, stated in an interview from Stratford by telephone that he had heard nothing of any negotiations for an agreement between New Zealand and Jamaica. Mr Masters could say no more than that on the subject. Ic is considered highly improbable that had the Government made any steps to negotiate with Jamaica Mr Masters would not be informed of the move. But in any case the development is considered of interest by the trade in the city. Certainly it seems to add to the complexity of the citrus fruit question in the Dominion. A member of one of the biggest importing firms in the industry in the city, Mr A. L. Macfarlane, said yesterday that he thought it quite possible that the Dominion would enter into some arrangement with Jamaica, but it appeared that nothing could be done until the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes and the; Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates returned from their visit to England. If the Dominion did enter into a treaty it would most likely mean that the importing of Australian oranges would be placed on a quota basis. Jamaican oranges would arrive in New Zealand at the time when Australian supplies would be short and the Island imports would be practically finished for the season. Without the Jamaican supplies, which had grown considerably in recent years, the Dominion would have to go to the United States for its oranges and naturally would have to pay more for them. Already Jamaica had benefited from the New Zealand trade in her oranges, the growers there having received a higher price for the fruit this season, owing to the Dominion operating on her market. Mr Macfarlane said that his own firm, Macfarlane and Co., auctioneers, brought the first Jamaican oranges into New Zealand.