Orange subsidy denied

Press, 10 June 1977, Page 2

Orange subsidy denied

Californian oranges may sometimes be cheaper than North Island oranges, but it is not because the American variety are subsidised by the United States Government, according to the general manager of Fruit Distributors, Ltd, which imports ! citrus fruits, pineapples, and bananas into New Zealand.

i The general manager (Mr M. Dossor) was referring to a claim by Mr D. Anning, an organiser of the Kerikeri citrus fruit promotion in Christchurch, reported in “The Press” of May 27 in th<> column, “Produce scene.”

; Mr Dossor said in a letter to “The Press” that Californian oranges were not subsidised, but sold on the world market at ruling prices and were shipped to New Zealand at ruling world reefer shipping rates. “New Zealand oranges often sell at a higher price than imported fruit because their market is protected,” said Mr Dossor. “Their fruit, unlike imported fruit, does not come under retail price control; the cost of internal transport within New Zealand is extremely high; and the New Zealand growers receive for their fruit under the protected market arrangement maintained by our company, the highest ex-packing shed price that we know of anywhere in the 'world.”