BANANAS FROM FIJI “A DISGRACE TO COLONY”

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29101, 13 January 1960, Page 12

BANANAS FROM FIJI “A DISGRACE TO COLONY”

Fiji should be told in no uncertain terms that New Zealand will not accept any bananas at all from there unless it makes a serious, vigorous, and above all, sustained effort to raise the quality and packing of its bananas up to the standard of other areas supplying New Zealand, says a statement from the Christchurch Fruit and Vegetable Wholesalers’ Association. The statement comes after newspaper reports of dissatisfaction expressed in Fiji at the quantity of bananas New Zealand was accepting from the colony. “This matter has been adequatelydealt with in the statement published yesterday by the general manager of Fruit Distributors, Ltd., and it is unnecessary for this association to comment further on this aspect other than to say that the quantity arriving from all sources is as much as the market can absorb,” the association’s statement says. A Disgrace to Fiji

The Fijian bananas landed from the Matua which discharged at Lyttelton last week were a disgrace to the colony, the statement says. More than one-third of the Fiji total had to be repacked at high overtime rates last week and last week-end: at least 33J per cent, had to be thrown out, being over-ripe and rotten. Even when repacked these bananas are of stale and poor appearance.

The cases not repacked are also of stale and poor appearance, they are also slack and loose, indicating either bad packing or heavy shrinkage through being too long cut and packed in the heat of Fiji before entering the

Matua’s refrigerated holds, says the statement. It is obvious this fruit had been cut and packed for the best part of a week before loading on the vessel, whereas cutting should be delayed the minimum time necessary for the fruit to be packed and loaded. “On Monday, retailers eagerly purchased freshly ripened bananas from elsewhere, but yesterday they showed little interest in the newly-ripened Fiji bananas, which were completely unattractive,” says the statement. It was said recently in the Fiji Legislative Assembly that New Zealand housewives would like second grade bananas at a cheaper price. This is nonsense; the first cost of the fruit is relatively minor—freight, cartage, railage, and other charges are of much greater significance. The New Zealand public requires and is entitled to the best quality which can be secured and second grade fruit is never a bargain. It should be emphasised that the above charges have been involved on all the wasty and rotten fruit which has had to be destroyed from the present shipment. This is both wasteful and uneconomic.

Our members are unanimous that this bad arrival can by no means and in no circumstances be blamed on the ship. Vessels carrying bananas to New Zealand are well equipped with adequate refrigeration, but they can only do their job satisfactorily if fruit is delivered to them in first-class and fresh condition, the statement says.