APPLE JUICE AS DRINK

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23415, 23 August 1941, Page 5

APPLE JUICE AS DRINK

GOVERNMENT ATTITUDE

(P.R.) WELLINGTON, August 22. A statement that it might ultimately be necessary to have a State enterprise producing apple juice, was made by the Minister for Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D. G. Sulliyan) during a discussion on the Estimates in the House of Representatives to-day. Mr W. A. Bodkin (Opposition, Central Otago), said that the growers were looking to the manufacture of apple juice with considerable interest. He felt that it would provide a market for hundreds of tons of fruit destroyed every year and would be well worth while, even if it had to be subsidised. Mr Sullivan said that the Government was anxious to make apple juice popular and have it adopted as a national drink. Unfortunately, there was not yet any large market for it in New Zealand. The Government had spent thousands of pounds in an effort to develop the industry and advertise its product. . , Mr W. J. Poison (Opposition. Stratford): Wouldn’t it be desirable to get an expert from America? The Minister replied that a competent officer of the fruit section of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research had travelled through Europe and the United States studying methods of production. The industry had been brought under the Industrial Efficiency Act, to try to ensure a good product.