OUTPUT OF N.Z. ORANGES

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28950, 18 July 1959, Page 11

OUTPUT OF N.Z. ORANGES

Increase Forecast By Department

Production of oranges could Increase to at least 30,000 bushels and of mandarins to 10,000 bushels tn a few years, says the annual report of the Department .of Agriculture. This quantity represents ne more than about 6 per cent of New Zealand’s requirjhehts and should be readily absorbed on the market provided an article of sufficiently good quality is produced. New Zealand’s climate is marginal for the growing of oranges and mandarins and it remains to be shown that they can be produced economically on a large scale in this country, but good returns for the fruits have encouraged heavy plantings over recent years and the trend is expected to continue There has been an increase in the numbers of orange, mandarin, and tangelo trees. In the last five years the number of orange trees has increased from 31.882 to 40,614; mandarins, from 5,379 trees to 13,213; and tangelos, from 581 trees to 1,037. “The decline in standard lemon tree numbers over the last five years by more than 20 per cent is a serious matter if New Zealand intends to remain self-supporting in lemons for nine months of each year,” the report says. In the last five years the number of standard lemon trees has fallen from 37,389 to 28,865; Meyer lemons, from 15,631 to 12,370; and grapefruit, from 56,040 to 48,685. Estimated yields of citrus fruits during 1958 were 130,500 bushels of New Zeal nd grapefruit and Wheeny grapefruit, 89,000 cases (J bushel) of standard and Meyer lemons, 14,800 bushels of oranges, and 3400 bushels of mandarins and other citrus.