REPLY TO MR. DOIDGGE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 90, 13 October 1938, Page 17

REPLY TO MR. DOIDGGE

MINISTER OF MARKETING

(By Telegraph—Press Association.! £ PALMERSTON N., October l|i "A statement reported to. have been. made by Mr. F..W. Doidge, National Party candidate, at Tauranga that thousands of cases of lemons were being destroyed as a result of the Government not having provided proper marketing facilities: for the industry.'is misrepresentation of the true facts?; of the case," stated the Minister of Marketing, the Hon. W. Nash, in,an interview tonight. - I "At present the Tauranga Citrus Association has approximately; ;9000 cases of lemons undergoing 'Ciinrig'-.treat-ment, and this;quantity-/dfiftuit^^ill, in the normal course of events, find; its way to various markets, ih??: News-Zea-land. An investigation reveals.that the whole of this stock* is in good.condition and the wastage not above* that which is normal and incidental*'to'the curing process. The necessity for destruction therefore does not arise and this has been substantiated by ;.an opinion obtained from one of the leading curing experts .in . Taurangaitself as recently as .last. $aturday."fe*v: -._- It was true that, in addition to .the stock of lemons in the Tauranga Citrus Association's shed, there was a heavy crop of lemons still to be picked. The latter lemons should not, however, .be Subject to a greater percentage .-of waste than that normally contended with. Perhaps M^ Doidge was referring to that portion of fruit still*on the trees and whiph would never ?;in any case finds its way to the markets. A suggestion had been made that a proportion of third ,g_*ade lemons coming forward at present.Whould be converted into: juicKiri order,tb.lift values on the local market^.Witli this in view a representative .of the Internal Marketing Division had negotiated in 1^ c presence of representatives of the Citrus Association foi, th^tsale of some 5000 gallons of lerhon^uice to an Auckland firm at a priee-which would give the grower a fair return for-his lowergrade fruit. "I would like to stress that the association was a party to* these negotiations and it was, therefore, in,their own hands to have disposed of the lower grades of lemons which, they contended, were spoiling the market for better, quality lilies. In view of'this, the destruction of; marketable quality lemons is unwarranted' arid I^rri: therefore unable to reconcile: MriDoidge's statement that such fruit-is 'actually being destroyed and,burned:*'.lii addition, tlie Government Ms for the '-first time stopped importation from California and elsewhere.

"Bearing this in mind and also the fact that neither.Keri,Keri nop..Auckland stocks are excessive, I "feel"sure that market values for lemons -will improve very shortly and the position will adjust itself in the course of the next, few weeks.'5* •,..