HAWKES BAY FRUIT GROWERS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 498, 4 May 1909, Page 8

HAWKES BAY FRUIT GROWERS.

ANNUAL MEETNIG. THE INDUSTRY AND ITS PROSPECTS. Our Hastings correspondent tolcgraphs as follows:—Tno following are,extracts from., a lengthy report mado by tho president'(Mr. W. H. Smitn) at tho annual meeting of tho Hawke's Bay Fruit Growers' Association on Saturday evening:—• ; ■ "During tihe past twelve months wo have supplied members with orchard-spraying material to the amount of £392- 3s. lid., and manures £86 14s. 4d., the gross turnover amounting to £514 11s. Sd., as against £19 19s. 3d._two years ago. This trading; added to tho increase in subscriptions, is responsible foT 1 a© satisfactoryglance of £21 12s. 6d. standing to our credit, with no liabilities,, as against ,£7 9s. last year. _ ''Speaking of the past fruit season from a trading point of viow, the results, especially, for stone fruits, hare been of a disappoint-' ing nature to growers. The shortage of fruit in Hawko's Bay was more than' made'-up" by tho ■ Auckland and Nelson crops,. with-tho result that tho Wellington market more especially was at no time at any but moderate rates, and often, over supplied. Apples and pears are making more payable, rates' now, and will, I think, continue to do eo.. It is certainly a matter of the,greatest congratulation .to note botih the: increased quantity and' improving quality of these two useful fruits im this district. There is no reason why Hawke's Bay should not produce as good as :any other-part of. the Dominion.; '.As regards tho.future, it seems;.to me. thatat no time has it been bo liecessary'for ns, xa.- order to safeguard our interests, to make this association of purs, a real live body, in every sense of the term. The production of fnut,,notably in Auckland, Nelpn, and Teviot districts, is increasing as rapildy as it is here, with' the result that competition for tno markets of the Dominion will become keener as time goes on. :- Against this; I can say, without fear of contradiotion, that there is no other, district of New Zealand as favourably situated as our own for handling out produce. The blarao will therefore be at our own door if, as business men, wo \do not , make the most uso of tho faralities wo ppsr sess in order to procure' for 'our- produce tho best market rates, available:" ■ ' ; ' In reply to a question, the chairman'said that upwards of 80,000 fruit cases tad been used by the association from this year's contract. : ' ' ■ : ,