SELLING OF FRUIT

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 284, 28 August 1935, Page 13

SELLING OF FRUIT

“Dominion Mark” Scheme Not a Success

HEAVY LOSSES MADE

Dominion Special Service

Palmerston North, August 27.

"Unfortunately the ‘Dominion mark’ selling scheme has not been the success hoped for,” commented Mr. W. A. Tate of Greytown, chairman of the annual conference of the Wellington provincial branch of the New. Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation held at Palmerston North. “There have been many reasons why.it has not—the selling agents were antagonised—and a large sum of money has been lost. On the first year the loss was nearly £5OO, that year not being a full one. The following year over £BOO was lost, and this year’s loss will run into several thousands." Continuing, Mr. Tate said it was very regrettable that 4 those losses had occurred. In the course of the year the directorate had met on several occasions and it had been decided some mouths ago that the “Dominion mark" scheme should be brought to an end. Only existing contracts were being carried out, and the staff had been reduced to sufficient only to complete those contracts. HV wanted them to understand clearly that the growers In New Zealand had to meet the losses made. The “Dominion mark” scheme had been entered into, with the best intentions, but unfortunately the depression had come followed by a short season last year. Now there remained the problem of what the directorate was' to do. It was proposed to set UP an Intermediate board, to act between the federation and the Fruit Control Board and the Executive Commission of Agriculture. The proposals for the membership of the new board were that it should be constituted of two from the federation, two from the Fruit Control Board, one from the Horticultural Division, one from the Agricultural Commission, the secretary of the Control Board and the manager of the federation. The Export Control Board and the Federation had yet to appoint their representatives. It would be laid, down that whatever that new board decided to do would be law, whether the growers liked it or not. The growers would be' very fortunate if the chairman of the local Control Board was its representative., He had very, full local knowledge of conditions as to production and quantities. Mr. Tate added that the new board had been forced upon the growers by circumstances. The local markets were in a most deplorable state. Although last year’s production had been short it appeared that there would be a rise this season; growers were preparing for a tremendous crop. The chairman of the Control Board had said that the estimated crop was 1,600,000 cases, but it was very probable that only 1,100,000 cases would be allowed to be exported. Sueb a position would make for more fruit on the local market The export standard was ■'becoming more rigid in regard to colour, diseases and blemishes, so that the amount on the ‘local market would be greater for several reasons, and there would be greater need for organisation. * ’ •

One of the aims of the new board, added Mr. Tate, would be to carry out a statistical survey first, and there would also be attention paid to compulsory standardisation or the adoption of a voluntary sticker system. This province had always stood for compulsory standardisation and the elimination of the inferior grades. That would be a very good thing, but it would have to apply to all the fruit sold.