CANTERBURY FRUIT

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 120, 14 February 1941, Page 9

CANTERBURY FRUIT

Complaints By GroAvers

SUPPLIES FROM ORCHARDS

Dominion Special Service

CHRISTCHURCH. February 13.

Hopeless” was Hie description giv-

en to the prospects for apple and pear supplies from Canterbury orchards this season by Air. 11. R. Sampson, the

provincial director of the A'ew Zealand Fruitgrowers' Federation, last

night. In some cases, almost the whole of crops had been wilted out by last Sunday's gale, which followed damage by two hailstorms in the Papanui district. he said. Cox’s Orange and Delicious apples were badly affected by the storm. Stunners were the only variety which held on at all well, but where the thinning had been carried out properly the fruit was blown off the trees. "As the department will not pay a premium, early fruit from Canterbury orchards is being -boot-legged by the growers.” said Air. Sampson. it i” tlie only way they can get a premium. The statement last week by the Minister of Agriculture. Air. Barclay, that the season here is later than in the north, as a reason for the high price for fruit, is perfectly true, but the department cannot expect early fruit without paying a premium. The department gave us only a week longer for supplying early fruit than Auckland, where the season is probably three weeks ahead of ours. “The department's methods of Purchase provide that an average of -/- a case should bo paid for fruit arriving in Christchurch by January -•>, with a premium of 5/- for the earlies fruit. That means thaj: the bulk of the early fruit here comes in with a premium that may be -id., 6d. or ed. a case. The department would not say what the premium would be for the. last week, its timidity of buying discourages growers from sending in early Commenting on a statement that the consumption of apples in Canterbury was lower than in other parts of NO" Zealand, Air. Sampson said it might be that sales by the Marketing Department were lower, because consumers preferred to go to the orehardists and get their fruit cheaply or that the Marketing Department was less efficient in Canterbury. The province was the Vonie of apples and pears and bad probably more home orchards than any other province. Those who did not grow their own apples and pears preferred to buy their fruit direct from the orehardists, saving not only the additional distributing costs bur the bruising which was incident,! to handling and long cartages.