THE CASE OF FRUIT

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 90, 16 April 1923, Page 6

THE CASE OF FRUIT

From correspondence that has appeared in " The Post" of late on the subject of fruit prices and consumption, it is evident that something is altogether wrong with the industry. Letters have been published in this journal giving the growers', retailers', and consumers' points of view. The consumer who thinks at all on the subject probably wonders why fruit is so dear in a highly-favoured growing" country (practically every part of it) like New Zealand that it has to be regarded more as a luxury than a most necessary food. The grower points to his meagre return and says, in effeot. that the industry is a steadily losing one; that it pays far better to let the fruit rot on the trees than to pick it. The retailer pleads rents, risks on a perishable article, and the costs of handling and distribution. There is no doubt much to be said for the retailer; but the grower cannot be making more than a living, much less i a fortune,, speaking generally, either by selling locally or exporting. If proof of this were wanting, it. is furnished by the commercial cablegrams from London to-day, showing that New Zeala«nd apples, shipped at the end of February last, af ye realising an average of 10s per 40lb case for the best, and some as low as 4s; with none- above 20s. This must manifestly involve growers in a loss, for, from these prices, freight, handling, dock, commission, insurance, and other charges have to be deducted. The local market ought to he, able to give a much better return, and no doubt does so. But it is said to be too small to absorb sufficient fruit, and therefor© recourse must be had to export.

We believe the. local market is not sufficiently helpful because the people, by reason of fruit generally having long been dear, have got out of the way of using it as a food. A'population of 1,250,000 people should be able to consume half a pound of fruit per head per /day. At a far less consumption per capita than this, the domestic market ought to be ablei to take over 1,100,000 cases of fruit in three months which, at 7s 6d per case, would represent roughly £360,000 distributed when fruit was plentiful. The margin between /what the consumer pays and what the producer receives is evidently far too wide; and there is still the obstacle in the popular idea that fruit is a luxury to ba overcome. Consumers, not only of fruit, but of most other necessaries of life, are naturally' unsympathetic to organised action .by producers to improve their position. They have- past experience—not necessarily as to fruit—of export at a loss to b© recouped by. "squeezing" the local market under protection of Customs duties and other measures in particular interests. But the fruit-, grower's case certainly calls for the sympathy of the consumer. It is the grower's business to discover how best he may obtain that; and how much he can reduce-,the disparity between what he receives ftnd the retail price. The consumer is helpless in the matter. But there is no doubt that the local market the Dominion over can take and. would take more fruit, to the benefit of the public health and the advantage of the fruitgrower, if it were made more popular by being made cheaper. There is already a tendency in that direction.