FRUIT BURNED
HUGE QUANTITIES
CITRUS PRODUCERS
PLIGHTOF INDUSTRY
"Our opponents wheri/.-theyrrwant to stir an audience do not * hesitate;; to draw; harrowing pictures of what they call poverty amidst Jplerity," said Mir^ F. W. Doidge, National candidate '* for Tauranga, speaking; at Gate pa. /states the Tauranga ■■;..cQ"cr*espQndent' of ■■; the "New Zealaij'^ Herald.". i"We;ha^6;ail heard them times out ,qtnuhibe_.' declaim against a syMem'/which permits of coffee beingburrie^ in- 33iazil, wheat being destroy ed 'iri ''Am and oranges being dumped into the sea,ofl Liverpool, but. .what of the -position iv our own country? "At this moment thousands : of-cases of citrus fruits are being'bufried?.and destroyed," continued -Mr."' Doidge. "That is at a season of the year when the people most need such fruits. 7? "Right through the Bay of. Plenty the producers have had bumper crops, but the fruit does not pay for''tri.e picking and large quantities are being deliberately destroyed. That happens whUeijEjeople"ift^-the citiesVp.ay. at/the retail _.ate. of ;is 'fbr'.' feight^letaonk^ ■ .'' '-.*•." BIG: LSib^^cspPi'' ;7-;";':. "Pur ingjithe ? -months X uf Noveiriber,. Tauranga produces fruit' which in' quality canhptsbe^excelled, in any part of the :XvorlS,'* Isaid Mr. Doidge. "It is in these months that Tauranga produce,is.. at the very best, but the return to the grower scarcely pays for picking.. The lemon crop this year has been superb, fe'ut the- costs of production; and market|hg problems 'are;■killing/;^hat should ifce . a splendid1 industry."'-;;.. XXX N y Mr. Doidge said that for trie pj?st eight months . the growers had been trying to engage the sympathetic Attention of the Government. The Minister of Marketing, the Hon. W. Na|h, had been told that under present conditions it cpst, 8s;-Rfer?,case to produce at the orchard/---??The Mmister had been told that last'yelir'th^gi^ only 6s 6d per ca_;e:<\^ith. lemons selling in the shops- at eight for As, the return to the grower's should tbe not less th^n 25s per case. | "As.it is. "the growers have received as low as 3s-'per case," which means a dead loss," added Mr. Doidge. T!he growers h&ve-pointed out to the Minister the prohibitive cost of labour—£ 4s per day—and the higher cost of freight, 3s 6d' per ease to the"** South "Islahd. They have Urged the need.for unariimity of marketing and df, a proper distributing system, j.* ..PIOUS PROMISES. £' "Some time ago Mr./W, G. Strange, chairman of the Citrus Growers' Association, wrote to the Minister and offered to close the curing factory jtor six weeks and to destroy 10,000 cases of fruit so as to balance* the market. In reply, the Minister asked the growers not to destroy their crops apd promised that action ...'.of some kind would be taken, but?'pious hopes |nd promises haye""got" the industry nowhere arid today ■in this district ,' huge quantities of most beautiful citrus fruit of a quality not to be surpassedj yin any part of the world are being '/deliberately destroyed" *7 - -■-."', ■■•.*■ 7 w ■ "Citrus'fruits Jare:-the "iriostl healthful of all fruits," sai*d'Mr:*i.oidge.|s'A ? lemon. ■*.■. day.; (gonsumed-by. a, miltton people.in' New? Zealand"' wpulafiiot oiily save the industry, but also would|do more to keep the nation.fit.than all the provisions to be found*;in>the, Government's monumental health scheme. "But the Governmentt^oes not care. The burning of coffeet^fe Brazil is; to them a crime agaihstM^jna?i*ity ; , The burning of. the eitt'us crops M'-pew^ea-. landis to thexri pf'n6.'imp^rfenc%',:Whatever:*''',',. ;_•...-,.•-.;"■•■..-,. XXxyXx'^X^'' '
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19381013.2.120
Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 90, 13 October 1938, Page 17
Word Count
540FRUIT BURNED Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 90, 13 October 1938, Page 17
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