OTAGO FRUIT CROP

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 133, 29 February 1936, Page 11

OTAGO FRUIT CROP

Smaller Amount Available For Export

Dominion Special Service. Dunedin, February 28. Available fruit crops in the Central Otago district will be smaller for export purposes this year than was the case last season. An officer of the Department of Agriculture .who visited the district a week ago said this morning that growers were commencing export packing next week, the first shipment to England having to be sent to Wellington to be loaded on the Raugitiki, which leaves the following week. As there were lighter crops of Jonathans, Oleopatras and Coxs this season, this would mainly account for the decrease In export stocks. Delicious apples were being retarded by the dry weather, but this should not have a noticeable effect on the export total, as there was always a considerable portion of the delicious crop too big for sending overseas. The stone fruit season, he said, was nearing its finish, although plums were still coming on. Late varieties of peaches were deerbasing in quantity. Bon Chretien pears were still in plentiful supply and ruling prices were very low. One pleasing feature of the fruit season this year was the absence of brown rot in stone fruits.