MARKETING OF FRUIT

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 59, 3 December 1941, Page 6

MARKETING OF FRUIT

Question Of Preventing Wastage CLOSE WATCH URGED “We fully appreciate the tremendous task the Government accepted when, to help the fruit industry, it undertook to purchase the whole-crop, anjt was forced to market iu New Zealand the additional million to a million and a half cases which in normal years were exported,” states the official organ of the New Zealand Fruit-growers’ Federation. “Apy loss borne by the Government must ultimately reflect on the grower and the consumer, and as one of the parties so vitally interested, we feel justified in raising the subject and seeking some assurance that none of the loss was avoidable. Otherwise it would be some satisfaction to learn that the whole position was being investigated and better results could be anticipated in the future. “We do not wish to criticize unnecessarily ;’our only desire is to reveal any weaknesses in the present scheme, and to help in effecting improvements. It would be folly, nevertheless, to shut our eyes to any shortcomings and sit back and try to believe that everything was going along perfectly. We have constructive proposals to make, particularly in regard to eliminating all sources of wastage, whether in the orchards, packing sheds, during transport, in cool store or in other places. In the meantime we are convinced that the closest watch should be maintained by the authorities upon the possibilities of wastage. “We have on several previous occasions expressed the opinion that if there is a loss—even a substantial loss —the people of this country will stand behind the Government and the fruitgrower, providing —and this is the point—that any loss by the Government has been passed on to the consumer by way of cheap fruit of good quality—in other words, a debit to the State balanced by a credit to the community. , “It may be found that there can be absolutely no cause for complaint regarding the department’s marketing methods and that any loss of condition which has taken place has been entirely due to an excess supply, but as an industry we would be strongly opposed to any curtailment of supply till it could be proved beyond doubt that the Government marketing methods were all they should be and that the whole crop, except for normal wastage, cannot be passed on to the consumer. in good condition and at a price winch will average sufficient to return at least some proportion of production costs.