Potential seen for process vegetables

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33790, 12 March 1975, Page 16

Potential seen for process vegetables

The potential for the development of process vegetables in Canterbury appears to be almost unlimited, in the view of Mr F. L. ' Bailey, district superintendent of horticulture of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Mr Bailey will retire next week after 36 years with the department. He began his career at Auckland, then transferred to Palmerston North as district advisory officer before assisting re- ■ turned servicemen in setting up citrus orchards at Te Puke. I He then returned to Auck-

land, and was later transferred to Christchurch with the appointment he now holds.

Mr Bailey said that the advancement of process vegetable and fruit growing in the Christchurch district had been boosted by the opening of canning .factories. This, coupled with an international airport close at hand, made it possible for growers to get their produce either into frozen or canned form or on to overseas markets at very short order.

Fanners who traditionally had grown grain were now paying attention to crops such as peas and beans, Mr Bailey said. There also seemed to be a big potential for the tomato industry on the basis of recent developments, both in varieties for growing and methods of mechanical harvesting. But Mr Bailey said he could see no point in anyone going into horticulture without being first sure of a good irrigation system. Mr Bailey will maintain some interest in horticulture after his retirement from the Ministry of Agriculture but has not decided what form it will take.