FRUIT EXPORT TRADE

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 99, 23 October 1924, Page 7

FRUIT EXPORT TRADE

SOUTH AMERICAN BUSINESS.

Captain G. T. Hull (Redpath and Co.) has placed at the perusal of "The Post" correspondence relative to the South American fruit export trade, and between his firm and the Government. It is disclosed that Redpath and Co. had been shipping fruit to tho Buenos Airoe market during the 1922 and 1923 seasons, but were prohibited by order-in-council from proceeding with this business. They were prevented from participating in /the trade at all for tho 1924 season. The only reason assigned to them for the action of the Government was that sales had already been negotiated,.by tho New Zealand Fruitgrowers' Federation with an Uruguayan firm for 50,000 \-ases on a c.j.f. basis, subject to tho following conditions, viz., that no other apples should be shipped, and that tho fruit should arrive in good order and condition.

Messra. Eedpalh then applied for a permitjo ship 500 cases to their broker in Buenos Aires, to whom they had previously shipped over 8000 cases. This permit was refused by llio Minister. They state that on previous shipments their returns were eminently satisfactory to growers in every respect. The account sales were all in order, and were audited by the Department of Agriculture. The returns were paid out promptly to the growers. The averago price was 9s per case of fruit, free on board Wellington, that is tho grower received 9s in Wellington; in fact. "Delicious" variety returned 12s 3d. The returns for fruit on the shipments at the Federation, to use the description applied to them by Colonel Grey, chairman of' the Export Advisory Committee, were "disastrous." What return the grower will receive from the Federation's South American sales during the 1924 season, stated Captain Hull, "it will be interesting to see." But his contention is that in the interference by tho Government with a legitimate export trade has not only been a loss to a bona fide New Zealand firm, but prejudicial to the interests of tho fruitgrower himself shipping fruit to South America under the order-in-couxi-cil prohibiting export except through one channel.