DAMAGE BY FROST IN OTAGO ORCHARDS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 42, 13 November 1937, Page 10

DAMAGE BY FROST IN OTAGO ORCHARDS

♦ State Help Needed To Save Industry From Ruin GROWERS SUGGEST FORM OF INSURANCE By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin. November 12. In an endeavour to stress to the ' Government the urgent need of the majority of fruitgrowers in Central Otago for some security against the disastrous effects of frost, hail and wind, a petition has been sent to the prime Minister, asking that some measure of assistance should be given to save the industry from ruin. It lias been pointed out to the Prime Minister that some of the growers are themselves investigating an insurance scheme, and he has been asked that similar inquiries should be made from the Government’s point of view. A fruitgrower from the Ettrick district explained a form of insurance propounded by himself, which, he claims, has the support of many growers in Central Otago. He stated that the scheme would be placed before the Prime Minister at an early date. Scheme Explained. The insurance scheme which the grower has formulated would require the Department of Internal Marketing to charge a premium; growers would nominate the amount of cover they would require, but that amount would be sufficient only to give them a living and adequate working expenses. In the event of total loss the whole amount on which the premiums had been paid would be disbursed, less a sum covering that year’s premium, and, if the losses were only partial, the grower would be allowed the option of marketing his own crop or of handing it over to the department in return for the total amount of cover, the department to market the crop. It is suggested that the scheme should be a State-controlled one, to be subsidised by the Government to the extent of at least the total now paid out in frost relief. If carried into effect the insurance scheme would include within its scope not only the growers of Cczitral Otago, but also those in Nelsen, where hail causes losses, and Hawke’s Bay.

LIGHT CROPS EXPECTED Dominion Special Service. Dunedin, November 12. The latest reports from Central Otago state that there is unlikely to be any over-supply of stone fruits during the coming season, and that crops of apricots and greengages in particular will be on the light side. Crops of cherries will be heavy in some districts and light in others, because frosts damaged crops in some localities and not in others. There should be good returns in all districts from peach and nectarine trees, but crops will not be heavy. Plum trees are showing plenty of blossom, but fruit has not set up well, and it looks as if these crops will also be on the light side. Apple and Bon Chretien pear trees also have been affected by frost in a number of districts. It is not expected that returns from apple orchards will be as good as those of last year. Planting of tomatoes is not as heavy in Central Otago as in other years. This also applies to the Canterbury district, because of the extra cost of labour in handling tomato crops.

Generally speaking, orchardists iu Central Otago have had an arduous time. In some instances orchardists who have frost-fighting equipment have had to light their fire-pots on several occasions during the season. Those growers who have not equipped their orchards with fire-pots have lost the greater part of their crops, and, to illustrate the great value of frost-fight-ing equipment, orchardists who have equipped part only of their orchards with pots have saved crops in this area and lost them in the remaining area. It is understood that the. Government is experimenting with hot air plants for combating frost, but it would seem that in the meantime fire-pots are a most effective method of meeting the menace of frost.