APPLE PACKING PLANT

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28250, 11 April 1957, Page 14

APPLE PACKING PLANT

Future Of Unit At Motueka

(From Our Own Reporter) NELSON, April 10. Deep concern has been expressed in the Motueka district for the future of the New Zealand Packing Corporation unit at Motueka. The directors are Messrs J. R. Rutland, E. J. Fawcett (Director-General of Agriculture), K. L. Brookfield, M. McDougall, and D. H. Steen. All except Mr Fawcett live in or around Auckland, and the headquarters of the corporation is in Auckland. The corporation was formed to take over three enterprises formerly carried on by the Internal Marketing Department—the Motueka fruit and vegetable processing factory, the works at Pukekohe and an office building in Auckland. An agreement provided that within four years there would be formed a public company to take over these assets. It was further agreed that 25 per cent, of the shares in this company would be. offered to growers.

When the Minister of Agriculture (Mr K. J. Holyoake) was at Motueka recently to open the new cool store he was approached by representatives of the producers who discussed with him the future of the Motueka unit. The substance of the discussion was a proposition that the Motueka factory be separated from the rest of the packing corporation’s interests and come under local control in which the producers would play a big part. Those present at that meeting understood the Minister’s reaction to have been favourable, yet since he has left the country other steps have been discussed. The Acting Minister (Mr S. W. Smith) was asked today whether he understood that Mr Holyoake had given an assurance to the Motueka growers that, if they could find a certain amount of capital, the Motueka factory could be taken over and run separately under local control. Mr Smith said he had no knowledge of this but he would be surprised if the Minister had given such an assurance. Mr Smith said that it would be appreciated that he was acting on behalf of Mr Holyoake who was in England and that he had only just come into the discussions on this subject. Thus he was not yet familiar with certain aspects of it.