GRAPEFRUIT IMPORTS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 242, 9 July 1938, Page 12

GRAPEFRUIT IMPORTS

Consternation Among Local Growers

GLUT ON CITRUS FRUIT MARKET Dominion Special Service. Auckland, July 8. Nine hundred and fifty cases of Californian grapefruit arrived by the Monterey to-dny to the order of the Internal Marketing Department. Among local growers of citrus fruit, particularly those who have large crops of poorimin oranges ready for tlie market, tacknowledge of this untimely importation lias caused consternation.

“It is incomprehensible," said oue producer, “that the State, which now controls importation, should bring in this large shipment of 1425 bushels al a moment when the fruit cannot be used as breakfast food. I am certain that never in the past when merchants imported at their own risk has so large a. quantity been brought into the country at this time. Already there is a glut of imported sweet oranges which is having a deadening effect upon the market for all other citrus fruits, as well as upon that for apples and pears. Further, it is common knowledge in the fruit trade that the existing stocks of Californian grapefruit cannot be quitted at ordinary prices. To-day’s shipment will further aggravate the. position and place the New Zealand growers in a hopeless position.” Ruinous Market. Growers of New Zealand grapefruit, known commonly as the poorman orange, are faced this season with a ruinous market. The chief reason* for this situation, in the general opinion of men in the industry, is the excessive importation of sweet oranges and past and impending shipments of Californian grapefruit. The fruit trade, generally, it may be asserted, regards the citrus crisis as an arresting.illustration of the weakness and danger of State control. New Zealand grapefruit are selling to-day at lower prices.than were recorded in the depression years. Retail prices may still be considered too high by the public, but the. grower may have to draw on capital if he happens to possess it Heavy-laden Trees.' A number of New Zealand' grapefruit orchards were inspected recently. The crops are magnificent bumper- crops following a lean year when-wind caused heavy falls. To unaccustomed eyes the sight of these acres of-green and gold is an inspiration.- But what did one grower say? Waving -bis- strong right arm—a Main Body soldier’s arm—toward his grapefruit trees, so wonderfully "fruited deep,” he said: "It would not look so-bad if I had managed to sell 500 cases -off them.” Consider the term "It -would not look so bad.” It was used by a hardworking producer- viewing a splendid yield, who sees his-profit vanishing because the Government plunged into the trade. In the orchards inspected at least 8000 bushel cases of fine fruit are hanging. The average net return to the present date last year-was eight shillings a case, a payable price at former costs. This year the average net return has been 5/8. Out of this, a ward, wages' of £4 to £4/2/6 for a 44-hour week have to be paid, against 12/- a day in pre-depression times and less during the depression. Further, the cost of transport, sprays and other items of overhead has -increased. , State Adventures. “Others get increases, we get cuts,” said a sad-hearted grower. “We need an average of at least 8/- a case over the whole season to have a reasonably profitable return. The prospeects, howver, is that the market will be steadily depressed. The marmalade makers at present are not. interested. The fruit they prefer is that of the early season, when the pectin content, which improves the ’jell,’ is high, but they had a carry-over from last season and apparently are hopeful of buying at a much lower price than the ordinary—2d. to l|d. a pound—before the season is out. If they do so it will be due largely to State adventures in citrus importation that have rocked the market in all classes of fruit. Already the marmalade price has been knocked 25 per cent., and former contract quantities have been reduced by 50 per cent, and upward.” Growers Sacrificed. It is contendel with convincing emphasis that the growers of New Zealand grapefruit which does not reach dessert quality until this month have been sacrificed to a State Import system, the present purpose of which is to deluge the country with sweet oranges at any cost to the taxpayer. No one outside the State organisation knows the quantity of sweet oranges in store. The trade, however, is convinced that these perishable stocks may amount to 10,000 cases ahea'd of the demand. Every auction mart is stacked with oranges, and a glance through them provides strong evidence that heavy waste is now occurring. For this waste the State will pay. Fruit producers can make the safe assertion that this spate of oranges has deadened the market for all other .fruit.

In the meantime, many thousands of cases of exceptionally fine grapefruit hang on trees within 10 or 15 miles of the wharves which may soon witness further dire blows at New Zealand producers.

Another repercussion is that nurserymen who were encouraged by the State to establish stocks of grapefruit, trees — a task that requires three or four years—cannot now fin'd a commercial demand, the direct result of the unexpected vicissitudes of the grapefruit grower.