FRUIT INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 256, 26 July 1935, Page 8

FRUIT INDUSTRY

Problems of Exporters GROWERS CONFER Government Guarantee Remits of importance to the fruit export trade were considered at a Dominion conference of fruit exporters held in Wellington yesterday under the auspices of the New Zealand limit Export Control Board. The chairman of the board, Mr. R. Paynter, of Hastings, presided over an attendance of about 50 delegates. The conference was opened by the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. C. U. Macmillan. An address was delivered by the deputy-chairman of the Executive Commission of Agriculture, Sir Francis Frazer, whose remarks are published in another column. Mr. 11. M. Campbell, M.P. for Hawke’s Bay, and Mr. 11, Atmore, M.P. for Nelson, also briefly addressed the conference. Mr. D. .Tones and Mr. G. A. Dunean, members of the Commission of Agriculture, were also present during the opening proceedings. After recalling that the fruit exports from the Dominion for the season just: concluded were the lowest since 192!), Mr. Macmillan said that in connection with the 1935 exports the Government guarantee would apply only to fruit shipped to new markets. Apart from that, the Government would contribute to the New Zealand Fruit Export Control Board’s central fund irrespective of claims on a 11 for 11 basis up to £12,500. _ ■ Assistance by Government.

In 1936 and 1937. where a grower’s average return was below the average rate determined by the board, the Government would pay to the board’s central fund 50 per cent, of the shortages, provided the agreed upon rate did not. exceed 9/- New Zealand currency per case c.i.f. overseas destinations; and provided the fruit had been exported in accord with Government export requirements. , The liability of the Government under the arrangement was not to exceed £12,500 for each year. Government assistance to the central fund would cease with the payment made for 1937.

Reports to hand, said Mr. Macmillan, indicated that the bulk of the 1935 fruit shipments arrived at their destination in good condition, with the exception of Cox’s orange pippin, which showed a considerable percentage of bitter pit infection. The prices realised for apples on the overseas markets through the season could be considered as quite satisfactory. Pears were, however, disappointing. both in regard to condition and price, the keeping quality being poor as compared with the 1934 shipments. This, combined with excessive quantities from Australia, had the effect of making a low price range. It would appear that the quantity of pears shipped to the United Kingdom from all countries reached saturation point in 1935, and the position as far as New Zealand was concerned was due for consideration. Marketing Conditions. Mr. Macmillan said that during the visit of the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates to England endeavour had been made with the view to improving the marketing conditions for New Zealand-grown fruit in the United Kingdom, Germany and France, but nothing definite had yet eventuated. Mr. Coates had been instrumental in having the Swedish duty on New Zealand fruit reduced from 4/- to 2/- a case. The total quantities of apples and pears exported from the Dominion during the last five years were as follow:—

Cases. 1931 1,349,895 1932 1,596.(158 1933 1,430.513 1934 1,574.912 1935 1,063,420

Reference was made by Mr. Atmore to Sir Francis Frazer's remarks concerning the restricted market in Great Britain and the value of the local market to the fruit industry. In the present age of economic nationalism, said Mr. Atmore, there was no such thing ns hanging on to a market. No country traded with another because of sentiment. There was no hope for the New Zealand fruit industry unless the industry’s marvellous power of production was equated with consumption. The problem of production bad been solved everywhere in the world, with the possible exception of China, and he hoped some attention would be given the problem of consumption. Scop© for Local Canning.

In wishing the conference every success Mr. Campbell said he thought quite a lot might be done in the direction of fostering to a greater extent the local consumption of fruit. It was an excellent opportunity for the conference to consider ways and means of bettering canning methods, and by methods he meant variation in factories. There were in New Zealand two factories, which he understood were owned almost entirely by outside people and capital. The tesult was that fruit was sent from outside insfead of fruit grown by our own people being utilised. In Hawke’s Bay there was no canning, and it was impossible to get. soft fruits to the factories. Mr. Campbell said that if consideration were being given by the authorities to the establishment of new industries, he hoped the possibilities of the canning industry would not be overlooked. He believed that a great deal of our fruit that was too soft was unsuitable for export, but by canning it might be turned to profitable use, not only for the use of our own citizens, but even by sending it overseas.

Considerable discussion took place on a Nelson remit urging that pooling be abolished. The con ten (ion of the supporters of the remit that a reversion to the system of individual account sales would be to the advantage of the industry received little support from the conference. which rejected the remit by 21 votes to six. Another Nelson remit advocating reversion to a system of marketing through a full panel of brokers in the United Kingdom was lost on the voices. By 15 votes to 13 the conference supported a Nelson remit urging that in the event of pooling being continued pears b»

accounted for by individual account sales and not pooled. Codlin Moth Regulations. Another Nelson remit suggested that consideration, be given to the advisability of reducing the percentage of codlin moth stings allowed in fancy and good grades. It was mentioned that the regulations incorporated this point. All that was necessary was a tightening-up of the regulalW"That Cox’s orange pippin be precooled before being exported” was another Nelson remit, which was amended by the addition of the words “at the discretion of the board,” and adopted. The following remit, also from Nelson, was carried: —"That a trial be given to cool store portion of Cox’s orange pippin apples in the Southampton or Loudon cool stores, with a view to feeding the markets and obtaining better prices, all apples to be repacked before placing on the market.” Hawke’s Bav forwarded a remit — “That the export of Cox’s orange pippin be restricted to C and D size groups.” It was stated that the larger sizes were breaking down and giving a bad reputation to exports of those sizes from the district The C and D sizes fetched the best prices on the English market. The New Zealand market, however, sought the larger apples, so there should be no difficulty with the remit. An amendment that the maximum size 'be the 150 count, instead of the 138 count per case, was ° An Auckland remit proposed that the russet allowance in fancy and good •'■rades of partial red varieties be increased, especially in apples having colour well in excess of the colour standard of the respective grades. The ' remit was adopted after deletion of the word “fancy.” 'l'he conference adjourned until V o’clock this morning.