FRUIT PRODUCTION

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 109, 1 February 1941, Page 13

FRUIT PRODUCTION

Plan To Increase Orchard Storage SPREAD IN MARKETING (By Telegraph—Press Association.) NELSON, January 31. The storage of fruit on the orchards of tlie Dominion is to be developed to the fullest possible extent this year, and it is hoped that it will be possible for growers to hold 400,000 cases of this season’s crop, said the Minister of Marketing and Agriculture, Mr. Barclay, today. The Minister outlined the efforts being made to provide cool storage and other accommodation for the crop in order to spread the marketing of fruit, all of which will be sold iu New Zealand, as evenly as possible over the whole year. Last year 2,880,000 cases of apples and pears had been produced, and it was estimated that this year’s crop would be from 400,000 to 500,000 cases below that figure, Mr. Barclay said. Last year the Dominion was able to export 555.000 cases, but export prospects this year were extremely remote. Therefore it looked as if the crop to be consumed locally would be very little in excess of last season’s. “Over and above new stores efforts are being made to extend the practice of orchard storage to the fullest possible extent,’’ said the Minister. “This is a procedure which has to be operated with caution and the ability of each district to orchard-store the different varieties is being fully investigated by district marketing advisory committees.” Under normal conditions the quantities of fruit which could be held by growers on their orchards was 150,900 cases, but it was hoped by careful control to be able to extend that storage to 400,090 cases or a little more, and so assist considerably in holding stocks beyond the capacities of cool storage. The Director of Internal Marketing was conferring with the fruit trade in regard to the prospects of introducing a system which would tend to avoid undue price fluctuations, and if possible regulate the price during the peak of the season from now to the end of May in a manner which would create confidence among buyers, stabilize the market, and result in a rapid clearance of fruit while iu the best of condition.