50-TON' FRUIT LOSS Wages up, but no pickers

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33418, 27 December 1973, Page 10

50-TON' FRUIT LOSS Wages up, but no pickers

A shortage of pickers has put Canterbury fruitgrowers in "a pretty desperate situation," says the chairman of the Canterbury branch of the Berryfruit Growers Federation (Mr G. A. Agnew). It was estimated that about 50 tons of fruit had been lost in the Canterbury area through the lack of pickers, with blackcurrants the hardest hit, he said. “With the school holidays I starting so late this year, we have not had nearly as many pickers as usual, as most of lour helpers have in the past come from primary schools “Wages have been in-

, creased for all pickers, but this appears to have done little to attract an\ more people to the berry and fruit farms this season." Mr Agnew said that the shortage of pickers was particularly unfortunate this year because blackcurrant and strawberry growers had arranged export orders which amounted to 200 tons of fruit throughout Canterbury About 2000 to 3000 pickers were needed urgently Record ride claimed >VZ. Press Assn—Copyright) SYDNEY. A marathon motor-cyclist. C. Peckham, claims to have set a record for his trip around Australia. He spent 15 days on the road, three days and a half in hospital, and beat by half a day the previous attempt. He travelled a total distance of 10,070 miles, covering 700 miles on his best day and 430 miles on his worst. ; “On my first day out of I Sydney, as I was heading toI wards Dubbo. I fell off thej I bike as I swerved to avoid a semi-trailer,” Peckham said. “I landed in hospital for three days where doctors operated lon my knee.”