THE FRUIT BOARD

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 76, 30 March 1926, Page 9

THE FRUIT BOARD

\ COLONEL C. GRAY'S INVESTI- .. GATIONS. -

(From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, 9th February. "' Colonel C. Gray,' Government representative and chairman of the Fruit Export Control Board, is in Londjn again-after'his tour-of the North. He visited Liverpool, Manchester, Hull, Bradford, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh, j and Nottingham, and interviewed all the principal fruit, merchants. Most of .these were very keen to receive Nrw Zealand fruit, but.practically all expressed the hope that the supply would I.be continuous throughout the season. j They disliked the' idea of interesting | their customers in a certain type of | fruit and not being able to follow up , tho supply, which,r 6f course, is only iiatI ural. Colonel Gray hopes to kayo four jor five vessels directed to a northern j centre during the season; Some 40,000 i cases to the r West of England and 15,000 1 cases to Hull could bo distributed con- ! yeniently from those centres, i During the latter part of la3t season i the New Zealand shipments came into ] serious competition with the soft fruits, i with-the result that prices wero V3 y : low. . Colonel Gray considers that this ' is a state of affairs that must bo faced I every season. He -is of tho opinion j that the situation would bo conaidrr--1 ably relieved if a greater proportion of , apples were sent to "provincial ports. i Although, of course, there is competiI tion with the soft.fruits in the north, i London is the more important market. Colonel Gray will be in England dur- ; ing the whole of the New Zealand apple , season. Neither he nor his board con--1 template any radical changes in the j distribution of their fruit. The object ■is to obtain a clear view of the position | in this country so that the board may I be in the best position to formulate a l policy. Colonel Gray will be visiting i west of England -ports in ten days' . time.