‘Untapped’ apple market

Press, 22 October 1976, Page 10

‘Untapped’ apple market

BA Nelson Japan is the one major jintapped market for New apples, according !*to the general manager or lithe Apple and Pear Board T(Mr J. P. Bremner), when /addressing the annual projvincial conference of the ‘Fruitgrowers’ Federation. •The “breakthrough” would j come soon, because the I potential was there, he I said.

“The day will come when Japanese consumers will demand cheaper apples in greater supply because of their rapidly rising standard of living,” Mr Bremner said.

The long-term potential of the Middle East also justified continuing efforts in that area to establish markets; but it was not envisaged that major progress would be made in the short term, Mr Bremner said.

Major sales of heavily subsidised French apples had flooded the Middle East markets during the 1976 season when the board had hoped to clinch sales there, he said. The chaotic shipping congestion at major ports had also made final arrangements impossible. The only major impediment to New Zealand expanding its apple sales in South-East Asia was a continuing supply of the right size and variety. Further moves were

planned to consolidate the board’s position in this area.

In general, the New Zealand pip fruitgrowing industry faced two issues, said the federation’s president, Mr P. K. McCliskie — one concerned finance and the support shown by the Government, and the other was the industry’s willingness to restructure itself in line with presentday conditions. During the last two years, the Government had helped the industry considerably by providing special overdraft accommodation to the Apple and Pear Board and by providing assistance to growers in the form of rebates. ‘T'he Government has opened the door to loan finance through the Rural Bank to help growers to plan and produce on a long-term basis,” Mr McCliskie said. “Thfese actions, plus the very deep interest shown in our affairs, leave no doubt in my mind that the Government has a deep and sincere wish to see a stable and viable fruit industry, and has proved it.” On the second issue, an internal one, fruitgrowers had already decided their views on this through their grower associations. There were wide extremes of attitudes, and it would not be an easy job to reconcile them at the nat-

ional conference in Hastings next mohth. Progress would be impossible unless all growers put parochialism and selfinterests aside and approached the problems with honesty and fairness, Mr McCliskie said.