ORANGES FOR NEW ZEALAND

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21905, 5 October 1936, Page 10

ORANGES FOR NEW ZEALAND

NEW SOUTH WALES SEEKS MARKET CONTINUOUS CHEAP SUPPLY CLAIMED “The New South Wales orange growers are prepared to supply the whole of the requirements of New Zealand from May until tfie following March at prices so that oranges could be purchased by the consumer at from Is To 2s a dozen; In the case of mandarins. New South Wales is also in a position to supply fully all at prices that ■ would enable the. retailers to sell at from 6d to Is a dozen.” This statement was made on behalf of the citrus industry of New South Wales by Mr James Heane and Mr E. E. Herrod, president and secretary respectively. of the Fruitgrowers’ Federation of New South Wales, and Mr P. S. Macdermott, general secretary, New South Wales Chamber of Fruit and Vegetable Industries. They are at present visiting New Zealand and the statement is issued from Wellington. The statement adds that since December, 1932, when New Zealand placed an embargo on all Australian fresh fruits, the consumer in New Zealand had had to pay very high prices for oranges and mandarins, ranging from 2s to 4s a dozen for oranges, and Is to 2s 6d ,a dozen fof mandarins. In August, 1933, New Zealand agreed to accept oranges and mandarins from South Australia on a quota basis, and each year since, that state bad been allowed to. , send oranges and mandarins on the same basis. South Australian navel and seedling oranges were available from June until September, and perhapis October, while a small quantity of late Valencia oranges was available from that state in October and November and perhaps December. Meagre supplies of mandarins were available from June to September. New South Wales, however, was the largest citrus producing state in the Commonwealth, being responsible lor 85 per cent, of the mandarins and 62 per cent, of the oranges grown in Australia. Navel oranges and seedlings could be shipped from New South Wales from May. until September, and late Valencia oranges from September Until March. Present High-priced Supplies “At the present time, New Zealand depends for its supplies of, oranges from December until March on high priced fruit from the United States of America and the West Indies, while ample supplies of choice quality fruit are available in New South Wales only a lew days away, and which could thus be landed in a fresh condition,” the statement continues. “The beneficial effect of citrus fruits in the dietary of both children and adults is well known to New Zealanders. With the present high values many people are not in a position to purchase, while in other cases if oranges are purchased, the consumer is denied the benefit of other fruits through lack of fuhds, the whole of the money available for. fruit having been expended.. “The embargo was placed by New Zealand on the grounds of the danger of the Introduction of Mediterranean fruit fly. It should be borne in mind that New Zealand has imported fruit from New South Wales’ lor over 60 years. Fruit fly has been known to exist in New South Wales for about 40 years, and the fact that fruit was imported during that time and the fly has not become established in the Dominion seems to indicate that the precautions taken have been entirely satisfactory. It is considered that the climate of New Zealand is not suitable for the establishment pf the fly. The Australian and New South Wales Governments have power and are willing to enforce regulations that will prevent infected fruit ; from being shipped, and that this can be done, and New Zealand therefore amply safeguarded, is confirmed by a resolution passed at a conference of pathologists, entomologists and other scientific officers held, at Canberra in June, 1934, find at which New Zealand was represented by Dr. G. H. Cunningham. Balance of Trade “The question of the balance of trade has been raised at times, and in this connexion it should be pointed out that, a very much increased quantity of oranges could be imported from New South Wales for the same amount of money that is now being spent overseas in obtaining the present supplies. “In requesting permission to import oranges and mandarins into New Zealand, the growers of New South Wales have no desire to flood the market with cheap fruit or to enter into competition with similar fruits that may, be grown locally or imported from the Cook Islands, but are desirous of participating in any quota that may be permitted by New Zealand in order to supply the requirements of the New Zealand markets. The continuance of the embargo not only deprives the growers of New South Wales from enjoying the friendly business relationships that existed for so many years, but it also deprives the New Zealand public from securing ample supplies of fruit at reasonable prices.”