CITRUS FRUIT

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 62, 15 March 1933, Page 15

CITRUS FRUIT

FIGHTING COMPETITION

THE DOMINION PRODUCT

A memorandum issued by the Department o£ Scientific and Industrial Research on the subject of citrus fruit growing in the Dominion says that it is well known that in many parts of the North Island, particularly in the Bay of Plenty and North Auckland districts, there are areas eminently suitable for the growing of various types of citrus fruits, lemons, oranges, and grape fruit. Visitors to these districts have often been impressed by the sight of lemon and orange trees heavily laden with fruit of excellent appearance. At the same time most people realise that New Zealand depends upon overseas countries for the greater part of its supplies of this class of fruit. Australia, Spain, California, Italy all participate in this trade, and while in many of the shops throughout the Dominion citrus fruits from overseas are on sale, the New Zealand-grown material is conspicuous by its absence. Inquiry in most cases will elicit the answer that the New Zealand, fruit is lacking in quality and that it does not compare with that which has been imported. Undoubtedly there" have been some grounds for this statement. GRADING AND SELECTION. The New Zealand citrus industry is comparatively small and has grown up spasmodically. Its output is variable in amount and in quality, and the temptation on tiie part o£ small and struggling growers has been to supply fruit without thought of grading and careful selection of the fruit as regards form and type. Hence the New Zealand fruit has, when handled by the retailer, too often appeared at a disadvantage alongside the carefully graded, carefully selected, well cured, evenly coloured juicy fruit which overseas competitors have placed upon our markets, just as no doubt the carefully selected New Zealand . iamb and butter sent overseas compares more than favourably with the ungraded and random marketed products of the countries in which they are sold. The allegation, however, that New Zealand cannot produce citrus fruit of good quality is unfounded, but the prejudice having become established, there is no doubt that citrus fruit growers will find that it will take some time to live it down. The. effort, however, is worth while, and ■will undoubtedly ultimately lead to success. The recent National Flower Show in Wellington clearly demonstrated the excellence of New Zealand-grown citrus fruit. After the show, a numb.er of cases of fruit utilised in the display were submitted to Wellington retail fruiterers for comment in regard to suitability for local trade. The report on lemons was;— "Flavour excellent, quality very good. Rind slightly thick, otherwise quite satisfactory, and though not equal to some imported lemons, they are, we think, sufficiently good :to warrant legislative protection to a .judicious degree." I The Morrison seedless' .type of grape fruit received the following report:— "Flavour very fine. Quality surpassingly good. This fruit is a pleasing departure from the New Zealand product hitherto sold under the same name; we foresee a good market for this line." More laudatory still was the report on sweet oranges:—"Flavour exquisite; quality superlative; for sugar and juice content we have never tasted or seen their equal. Given production on a commei'cial, scale, we consider these oranges would command the New Zealand market." CARE IN HANDLING. This indicates, remarks the memorandum, that it is possible for New Zealand growers to provide a product which will satisfy the retail trade, and it is therefore incumbent upon them to take the fullest care towards handling this fruit so that its appearance and quality will compare with the standard set by that used for show purposes. Fruit of inferior appearance and quality must be rigorously eliminated, and in order that New Zealand citrus fruits may become firmly established on the markets and sought for by customers, the practices that have been proved efficacious with other classes of fruit must be adopted also with oranges, lemons, and grape fruit. No time should be lost by New Zealand growers to take such steps as will enable their lemons, oranges, and grape fruit to become well established on the score of quality throughout the Dominion, and in this matter immediate attention should be devoted to grading of the present fruit supplies available,- careful methods of curing, and attractive system of wrapping and packing. In all 01 these directions there is scope for much improvement, which will go far to promote the best interests of a section of the fruit industry which possesses great potentialities.