CITRUS FRUIT IMPORTS

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29112, 26 January 1960, Page 8

CITRUS FRUIT IMPORTS

Precautions By Department . Safeguards against the introduction to New Zealand of live insects in citrus fruit are taken in several ways, says the horticultural superintendent of the Department of Agriculture in Christchurch, Mr A. R. Grainger, in reply to a letter by a correspondent, “British,” about the sale of Cyprus oranges in Christchurch. In the letter, the correspondent said: “I see Cyprus oranges again in the shops for sale. In the last consignment I caught a live black insect in the core of the fruit. After all, why should we take fruit at all from this country?” “In the case of Cyprus oranges,” says Mr Grainger, “consignments have to be subjected to freezing treatment for not less than 21 consecutive days at a temperature of 31 degrees Fahrenheit (within one degree above -or below) and a check is made on these conditions by the placing of recording thermometers at a number of points throughout the cargo. The storage facilities available on the ship have to have the special approval of the director of the Horticulture Division. "If any person finds a live insect inside imported fruit the specimen should be sent to the local plant quarantine officer of the department for examination. "The importation of citrus fruit is under the control of Fruit Distributors, Ltd., and I am not able to go into the pros and cons of importing from various countries from a commercial viewpoint,” Mr Grainger said.