APPLE AND PEAR BOARD

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27736, 13 August 1955, Page 2

APPLE AND PEAR BOARD

CHAIRMAN DISCUSSES N.Z. MARKETING “HOUSEWIVES SHOULD BE MORE SELECTIVE’’ “There has been a concerted effort by certain persons to get rid of the board, but there has never been a time when the fruitgrowers have given u 2 . I r ior e support,” said the chairman t ll e .< Ney i. Zealan <i Apple hntt Pear Marketing Board (Mr J. H. Parker) at the annual conference of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation yesterday. “ ”^ lere , 1 ? aa been a lot of criticism of the board because it hasn’t always been able to do what it has wanted to, and we feel the housewife has had reason to complain,” said Mr Parker. “I don’t think there are better retailers than there are In Canterbury, but in some districts prices have been exhorbitant One of the main troubles the board has met with is not the grower who sells direct to the .public, but those who dump fruit on ns in fee middle of the season that 'they couldn’t sell direct said Mr Parker. “The future rests on the grower and especially the board, which must see that the public Sets a reasonable supply at a reasonable price.”

Mr Parker said that board’s fruit was not as bad as many persons said it was. There was a “scream” in the newspapers when one case of bad fruit was found, but the other 99 good cases were not considered. “I think the New Zealand housewife should be more selective,” he said. In Wellington he had walked down a street and found two shops not 50 yards apart displaying prices for fruit which varied as much as 2d or 3d. “Why don’t they buy the cheaper fruit? I suppose it is because they think they are getting toe best by, paying the higher price. • one-fifth of the apples grown m New Zealand were sold outside the board, said Mr Parker. The sales took place within a period of about three or four months. In Auckland the stage had been reached where the board was loaded with apples, which, because of outeide sales, it could not get rid of. ‘Direct selling is taking place because the grower thinks that he can get more money that way than he can by sending his fruit to the board.” Mr W. D. Turner said he was a “renegade” roadside seller, but if there was some incentive to send his fruit to the board, he would do so. “The board can only be a success if you do for toe board what you would do for yourself,” said Mr Parker. “We have not always had that co-operation.”