Record year for Chch fruitgrowers

Press, 20 September 1980, Page 24

Record year for Chch fruitgrowers

Members of the Christchurch branch of the Fruitgrowers’ Federation increased sales 18 per cent to $1.22 million this year, the Canterbury provincial conference of the federation has been told.

Mr G. P. Ward, director of the Canterbury branch, said that the federation had had an excellent trading year, recording a profit of $1.14 million before tax.

The federation’s general manager, Mr C. R. MacLeod, said that the profit, 34 per cent higher than last year, was a record.

Sales reached almost $25 million, 30 per cent higher than last year, and export sales, which were mainly of kiwifruit, had doubled over the previous year. Mr Ward said . that horticulture throughout New .Zealand had expanded in the last year. Plantings of -berryfruit in the Canterbury area had increased. ,

Productidh of of peaches and nectarines was likely to increase, he said. If. significant stone-fruit plantings were made in Canterbury, it would be necessary to direct them towards export to aoid a glut on .he local market. Mr MacLeod said that the federation’s increased profit had enabled the rebate on the purchase of spray chemicals, herbicides, and fumigants to be. increased from 6 per cent to 6.5 per cent. The total payout would amount to $355,280. Interest rates for the rebate retention scheme had also been increased, and would now be- calculated on a compound rate. > Mr R. Dawber, the Christchurch representative on the Fruitgrowers’ Kindustry Union of Employers, told the con-

ference that labour costs would increase to about 60c a case of fruit after the present wage ground. That would only be the cost to get the 'fruit off the trees. a , ’ :

He said that growers face, a 13 per cent or 14 per cent'increase in wage costs, without taking into account . ‘increases in the cost of manures. He was pleased that a remit asking for a 30 per cent in-, crease in basic fruit prices had been submitted, but the increae would only just coyer rises in ers’.costs. Mr J. P. Bremmer, of the Apple and Pear Marketing Board, told the onference that the board had had a record year. Export sales in Europe and South-East Asia ..ere good, but the board would face increasing competition, and improvements in colour grading and packaging would be necessary.

Sales of apples on the local market had increased 10 per cent on 1979. The board had been forced to Iwoer prices because of the “irresponsible action s of a minority group of owners” who sold from their gates.