EXPORT OF FRUIT

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 120, 23 May 1930, Page 10

EXPORT OF FRUIT

RECORD FOR NELSON

NEARLY 800,000 CASES

HANDLING FACILITIES

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

NELSON, 22nd May

Yesterday marked the end- of the 1930 fruit export season, and, as was anticipated early in the season, a record has been established, the total number of cases exported from the Nelson district being 779,700. This ':otal is an increase of 164,500 cases over the number exported last year, which waa the previous record season for the district, although not for the whole of New Zealand. Mapua has the largest export trade for the season of 254.600 eases, Motucka and Nelson handling 277,300 and 217,800 cases respectively. . The first direct shipment'of pears from Nelson was sent to London by the steamer Zealandie, which loaded 10.49G crates. The total pear export was about 22,000 crates. There are yet. 2500 cases of export apples held at Mapua and Motueka. These will bo sent to 'Wellington this week to be loaded on the Taranaki, the last apple boat of the season to sail for Home. Thus, all the fruit for Englaud will be away from New Zealand by the end of this, month.' The final shipment to South America will leave Wellington on 16th June by the Hororata. . . The figures in the different tables show that Nelson supplies about two-thirds of the total New Zealand export of fruit. During the season 105,350 cases of apples and 10,500 crates of pears were shipped direct from Nelson to the following Home ports: — Apples. Pears. London 41,869 10,400 Manchester .....'... 83,989 - Hull 18,708 — Glasgow 13.78S — • . The fruit which was loaded directly came' from the three "shipping ports in the following proportions:— - Cases. Nelson 75,902 Motueka , 52,582 Mapua 40,366 The following, are- the steamers which visited Nelson .for fruit. The table shows the quantity taken by each and the destination: — Ship. ■ Cases. Destination. Otaki 40,930 Manchester. Otaki , 13,788 . Glasgow. Zealandie. ' ' 28,974 London. Tasmania 43,059 Manchester. Tairoa 23,391 London. Tairoa 15.70S Hull. ■ The first direct shipment of pears from Nelson was taken by the Zealandic, which took 10,496 crates. GOOD TEAM WORK. Mr.' ,T. 11. liriint, New .Zealand Fruitgrowers' Federation shipping controller at Nelson, stated this morning that a very heavy crop of first-class fruit had been obtained this year, and growers had1 been favoured by an excellent dry harvest season which had enabled them to supply' the fruit from the orchards up to time. "This year the board has worked on a different' system of space booking," said Mr. Brunt. "Previously the board has asked for fortnightly estimates from the growers of the fruit coming forward. This year growers were- asked to supply estimates for each variety for the whole season. From these, and by the experience of previous seasons, the board was able to get'a line on the quantities which would be available at different periods. ""On 2Slh February the growers' estimate of the export crop waa 779,600 cases of apples and pears, and that estimate was nearly exact, the actual number being only 100 more.. "It has been a remarkably smoothly running season, "mainly due .to the good work-ofv the federation office staff at each shipping point and the co-operation of the Government inspectors and Harbour Board officials, Also, the Anchor. Company has given a good shipping service, keeping the ports clear. The services of the G unbar were very helpful, as owing to her low draught she was able to work the smaller ports. The Gunbar took a record single shipment of 9000 cases from Mapua on one trip. , "There has been a considerable improvement of conditions at Nelson," continued Mr Brunt. "All the fruit has been assembled at C shed on the wharf. The Harbour Hoard has co-operated by ; giving the use of, their trailers for conveying the fruit to the ships." ■ ' . . ■ LARGE COOL STORE NEEDED. In respect to direct loading, Mr. Brunt said a lot of the advantage of pre-cooling had been lost through the cool stores being at a distance from the wharf. He stressed the necessity of a large cool, store at Nelson for the assembly of fruit. Another facility which he considered would help the direct , loading was wharfage space enough to berth two liners at,once. "The orchards at present are looking well.. Apparently they are now coming into 1 heir, own and are producing the goods*," said Mr. Brunt. "At times the sheds at the ports have been working'at capacity, and with the prospect of the, further growth of the industry it will be necessary in the near future to. have "reater accommodation at all points, especially at the Port of Nelson, for direct OMr ngJ. PlK°Thoip, Orchard Instructor, speaking on the export season, attribu.ed the large crop to the splendid conditions earlv'in the season and to the use of..manures in the orchards. "The season was favourable in the early stages/ he said. "Climatically. October was a very nnc month, with ideal conditions for- pollination and the setting of the fruit- October is the flowering month for all \ arietta'of apples. In combination with this the use of manures during the last two or three seasons has become more general, resulting in the greater vigour of the trees Many orchards have shown an increase in production.. The increase on the Nelson side has been approximately--49 300 cases over the previous year, mainly due to an increase in the .crops of Jonathans, Delicious, Coxes, Dunns, and- fc>turm"Thealcrop generally was of good export quality," he said. "In a few instances black spot was responsible 'for reduction in the exportable quantity."