EXPORT OF APPLES IS IT REMUNERATIVE? TO THE EDITOR.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 27, 31 July 1912, Page 11

EXPORT OF APPLES IS IT REMUNERATIVE? TO THE EDITOR.

.Sir,— From the report published by you last Friday and issued by the New South Wales Department of Agriculture, there teems no doubt that export apple growing is a rery well paid form of agriculture. It is, therefore, somewhat puzzling to note that the comments attached state that it is not remunerative; under present conditions. I should like, nir, to occupy a little of your space in order to show how much per acre the growers, dealt with under the report you published, netted. It is oustomary to plant apples trees 16£ ft apart, tHat is 160 trees to the acre. Tho average yield per mature tree in Nelson orchard* is certainly 2i cases per tree upwards; assuming only one aise' per tree, howerei, or 100 cases per acre, and wa find that the so-called unfortunate growers, at &s l^d per case netted £25 per aore aftet paying for cases, freight, cartage, railage, etc. It hardly calls for pessimism does itr Is there any other form of agricultuiu which gives £500 per annum not off 20 acres? Certainly not grazing sheep, or dairying, and yet these are generally admitted tp bo remunerative forms of farming. So much, eir, from tho figures published by the New South Wales Department of Agriculture. Tha question now arises: Does the leport show an average return or a particularly bad one? This last year owing to *bo strike in England, the prices of any produce wero of course particularly bad, and I am of opinion that the report which you published is of an isolated shipment of apples sent from New South Wales and arriving either during or ehortly after the big London strike. This opinion was-con-firmed by Mr. T. W. Kirk, F.L.S., Director of our Now Zealand Government Orchard Division, who very courteously handed me a statement showing that, whereas this year on a shipment sold 30th April, 1912, the price of New Zealand and Tasmanian apples varied between' 6s 8d and 8s per case for good apples; those, sold on 3rd May, 1911, produced from 7s 6d to^ 11s 6d per cose. It is unnecessary to point out that of course the additional price 13 absolute profit. I have no doubt but that Mr. Kirk would confirm these figures to any olio interested. Thus you will see that according to the New South Wales Department of Agriculture's report, apple exporting is remunerative, and, further, that tho aforesaid report is distinctly below the average. The generality contained in the last paragraph of the report stating "tho net return (from exported fruit) is only about half the local value" has little point. Does it mean that we should not plant orchards for export apples, and should not export apples at all? If so, the fallacy of suoh an attitude is apparent. Butter and mutton export trades were established while New Zealand button and meat wero fetching less prices on the Homo mai"ket than they were in the local market, but tho foresight of those engaged in this industry is now fully justified by the good prices obtained in the Homo market. Even to-daj New Zealand mutton and butter are practically as cheap in London as in Wollington, yet it would' be absurd to state that the exporters of mutton aud butter are working without remuneration. Tho real truth is that no farming industry in New Zealand is complete without an export trade attached to it. The small quantity we pro* duoo here does not effect tho London market to any extent, but as the produce; becomes known the demand increases and the local market is to a certain extent starved, with tho result that local prices rise. If exporters wore foolish enough to drop flxporbing in order to cator for the local trade the bottom of course would drop right out of tho local market. I think I haVo 3atd enough to show that apple exporting may well hope to b© as profitable and as important a factor in «»w Zealand farming as mutton and butter exporting, and that at any rate the New South Wales Department of Agriculture s report is not convincing enough to put back tho time by ofle single hour. j I'ln&Uy, sir. I admit to boing interested m apple growing land. I. therefore, ask you and your readers to carefully 1 criticise every argument that I have used, and I am satisfied to stand by tho result.— -I am etc., 29th July.