Rise In Tonnage Of Frozen Peas

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32119, 15 October 1969, Page 16

Rise In Tonnage Of Frozen Peas

Expansion in pea tonnage at the Harewood Road factory of Birdseye Foods (N.Z.), Ltd, from about 550 tons four years ago to 2500 tons last season was a feature of the company’s development in the area, said Mr C. R. Borland, the chairman of Unilever (N.Z.), Ltd, in Christchurch last evening.

About 3300 tons was planned for the coming season, he said.

A big proportion of the increased tonnage was for export. This year the company would ship through Lyttelton to West Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the Pacific.

Addressing about 140 Canterbury growers, Mr Borland said that the tonnage of beans processed had increased fourfold and with the use this season of mechanical harvesting, this crop could be grown on a scale not previously possible.

Other vegetables processed locally are asparagus, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower.

Mr Borland also emphasised the value of the relationship between private industry, Lincoln College and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

He said that growers, manufacturers and consumers all reaped the benefits of the research by the two scientific bodies.

The company also welcomed the opportunity to share with them some of the extensive development at its

own Unilever research stations in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

It was the second meeting between the company’s representatives and the growers in recent months.