FRUIT GROWING

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 50, 27 August 1924, Page 5

FRUIT GROWING

INCREASE IN EXPORT

APPRECIATION OF NEW ZEALAND APPLES

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.! ' j- LONDON, 2nd July. That the fruit-growing industry in New Zealand is an expanding one is proved by the export. figures. Last season 79,000 cases were sent to this country; this season 201,000 cases have arrived here^ and have been disposed o{. -It is a remarkable increase. Moreover this season has seen a realisation of. good average prices, and it is probable, that this is the first year when the 'export industry has paid,, the average price received being in the vicinity of 16s per case.

Messrs. George Monro, Limited, the brokers wjio.have handled 126,000 cases out of the 201,000 this year, express the opinion that the New Zealand apples for grading, packing, stafidardisation, and for actual quality of the fruit, are. ahead of any other fruit that comes \to England. The prices show that, they say. Buyers are not going to pay the price unless they are satisfied ( that the quality warrants it. There are' certain matters, however, that still need attention if the quality and condition of the fruit are to be maintained at a high standard in every shipment. In the first place, on several occasions the.- apples have arrived too- ripe this

year. This may be due to the shippers, or it may be due to too high a temperature during the passage from New Zealand to England. Mesßrs. Monro have noticed that the over-ripe fruit has arrived in a similar condition to the early shipments from the irrigated areas of British Columbia. The inference is that as the British Columbians swamped their trees at first, and caused too much moisture to go into the fruit, so- the New Zealand fruit may have been N affected adversely by heavy rains following a dry period. Whatever the cause may be, investigations must be carried but to remedy the trouble. It is suggested that a self-registering thermometer might be packed inside one •of the cases to see exactly what temperature the fruit is subjected during tile whole of the voyifge. . This ~at least would clear up all matters relating to temperature on the voyage. .Then, again, it, may be necessary to ship the apples a little immature. Another; suggestion is 4hat battens be fixed "to the cases to provide /s. current of air between the cases. Regarding this matter, .however, it must be mentioned that Mr. T. W. Attwood is. showing a patent metal contrivance .qt the- New, Zealand Pavilion at Wembley which very effectively separates the cases and ensures ventilation. . \> ■ , '■ ' ''DELICIOUS VARIETY-' Another point referred to' by Messrs. Monro is the marketing,of the Delicious variety. To be at its best the Delicious apple should be hard. , This, New Zea-. land variety is entirely new to the trade. It is absolutely different from and bet, ter than any other Delicious grown in any other part of the world. The result is that, the buyers have to be convinced that the fruit is something quite new to them., This being so, the Delicious has not had the publicity it ought to have had. In future these' apples should be shipped while on the immature1 ' side.. Ota'go''apples were' eagerly looked for, as they came iii at a time when it was not "'possible to obtain similar varieties from other districts. Tljese also were over-ripe, though they may have been splendid apples, when they werg packed. . It is suggested that. Otajjo apples might be - shipped at an . earlier stage of maturity. SIZES AND BRANDS. .

Then there are two matters regarding packing, ,to which Messrs. Monro draw attention.- For America it is an .excellent idea; -but not for New Zealand. There are too many different sizes> and people do not know what thej are getting. This season the number of apples in a case varied from.. 64 to 250. In America there is an enormous home consumption, and they solve the problem by sending different sizes to different markets, and no one market has more than three sizes. It is suggested that only 2£in, 2i,iri, and 2»in apples :should be sent to England from New Zealand. Then, again, if New ZeaJand would only pack in districts instead of under different growers,; there would bQ much bigger blocks under.one brand. If there were only five or six brands instead of 40 or SO, there would be less confusion, and the steadying of prices would be considerable./ Especially does this apply to the Continental I market. . / V ' >

Every variety sent over this season has commanded goM prices. There is one exception, however. . Golden Pippins, have crept.in this year, and these apples fail to interest., buyers in this^ country. It is -likely that ' there has b.een a loss on all the Golden" Pippin lots forwarded. ..;.:■

Finally, it must be said that Mr. Attwood's visit here has been much appreciated. The High Commissioner's Department has .also taken a. keen interest in the marketing .of the fruit, there have been careful .inspections of the various shipments, and prompt reports have been cabled to New Zealand.