KEEPER LEMONS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 51, 1 March 1930, Page 7

KEEPER LEMONS

AT TWOPENCE

AND HOME GROWN

A NEW ZEALAND EFFORT

i A couple of years ago there was con-1 •adorable public discussion in Welling- J ton as to whether the New Zealand citrus grower could meet the New Zealand lemon demand in both quality and quantity. A good deal has happened since then, as is indicated by the lemon stocks in the Wellington fruit shops.. A good quality of New Zealand lemon, cured, is now much more in evidence. The "Wellington and Southern markets receive much more lemons from the Bay of Plenty than were * formerly received, and better lemons. The curing . station .at Tanranga seems to be a considerable factor in. this - change. .A visit to a Wellington fruit shop this week showed that Californiau lemons, which in tho past have been bought at 4d and 6d each, now lead in price at 3d each. It has to be admitted that in some respects they still lead in quality, but it is much to be doubted whether this Californian lemon is one penny (that is, 50 per cent.) better than ' the twopenny Taurauga lemon selling near it. Tho people who consider they have ample. reason for buying tie New Zealand lemon at 2d each instead of the Californian lemon at 3d each (or more) are steadily increasing'in number. Apart from any question of natural preference for a home-produced article, and apait from all sentiment, the New Zealand tuppenny lemon seems to be relatively good value. The prices given above are the prices of the moment, but seem to be fairly indicative of the relative position.generally existing in the retail shops, as between the New Zealand and the foreign lemon. There are -some grades of New Zealand lemons1 sold at less than. 2d each. A fruit-retailer in "Wellington buys lemons by the case, and sells lemons by the count, not by weight. If he buys a case of smaller ■lemons, he- has more lemons to retail than if be buys a case of larger lemons; and the larger lemons may not be the easier to sell. • UNCUEBD LEMONS. What is wanted, of course, is juice, not skin. Cases of uneured New Zealand lemons, thick in rind, are ■ still being bought by retailers, who find that the lemons are not only less in number, but are individually of less value than the cured lemons. This aspect was raised by the retailer himself, who pointed out that the New "Zealand lemons he was selling were cured, and that the cured 2d lemon would make an even more rapid competitive advance against the 3d foreign lemon if the general reputation of homegrown was not weighted by the bad impression caused in the consumer's mind by some of the uneured lemons. Asked what districts sent uneured lemons to the Wellington market, he mentioned Hawkes Bay and Poverty Bay. This retailer secures his New Zealand lemons by buying direct from the association of Bay of Plenty growers that has established, the curing station at Tauranga. He gave figures suggesting that, on a direct trading basis, both grower and retailer should be satisfied; and, assuming a continuance of those figures, lie looked forward to a replacing of the foreign lemon by the home-grown, provided that the production of New Zealand-cured lemons can be considerably increased, without loss, j of quality. BAY OF PLENTY PRODUCTION, j It happens that a southern visitor' who recently toured the Bay of Plenty learned there that lemon-growing was rapidly extending, that new lemon groves were coming into bearing each year, and that with the annual increment in the crop of each grove (up to a certain age), a considerably higher production was in sight. For the year ended 31st May, 1929, the Tauranga production alone (the quantity passing through the curing station) was 14,500 cases. It was expected to rise to 19,000 this season, and to 25,000 next season. Over a thousand trees in the Gate Pa district alone should come into bearing this season. Tauranga claims that it has the biggest lemon orehaid in New Zealand. ■' Taurauga also expects to develop, a Dominion-wide trade in Poorman oranges, both for ■ jam and dessert. Tauranga's production of Poorman last season was 2000 cases, and is increasing. FOREIGN COMPETITORS. It is interesting to note movements in the importation of lemons in 1926, 1927, and 1928. Taking these years in their chronological order, the imports from Italy fell heavily—sll,9sllb, 48,3711b, and 67,5001b. But the United States quota has risen •. (perhaps because of removal of the . embargo) from 423,3841b in 1926, to 1,104,9051b in 1927, and in 1928 was still as high as 976,954 lb. For the three years Australia sent 502,2111b, 237,2801b, and 356,9781b. These are. the main foreign suppliers of lemons. Estimating on the basis of current domestic values in country of export (plus 10 per cent.), the lemons send by the United States in 1928 were worth £20,458, those sent by Australia were worth. £4778. Auckland during those years imported far fewer lemons than did the three Southern ports. In 1927, out of a total New Zealand importation of 1,391,591 lb, valued at £25,168, Auckland imported only 92901b, valued at £46. la 1928, Wellington imported 807,4791b, Lyttelton 334,3431b, Dunedin 185,6521b, Auckland 54,6871b. A large part of Tauranga's attack is devoted to these heavily-importing Southern markets, which provide such a wide field for conquest by the home-grown. Lemons grown in New Zealand are now generally on the market in Wellington, Christehureh, and • Dunedin, and it is hoped that they will presently be in sufficient supply all the year, round. If a sufficient supply of cured lemons, equal (or better) in quality, is assured, and if the profits demanded by grower and retailer continue fair, the prospects of citrus production up to the limit of New Zealand consumption appear to be bright. When the influenza demand was at its height some- years ago, a good keeping lemon at twopence was a dream. It is a dream no longer, and its realisation:means much to the New Zealand public.