EMPIRE FRUIT

Evening Star, Issue 19273, 11 June 1926, Page 5

EMPIRE FRUIT

TRANSPORT AND MARKETING ECONOMIC COMMITTEE'S REPORT PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH A COMMISSION. Press Association—By Telegraph—Lopyrigtrt LONDON, Juno 9. Tho Imperial Ecqnohiic Committee's fruit report statesi “The committee considers the representation of the Empire Producers* organisation in tint* United Kingdom as pivotal to tho wholo scheme of Empire marketing. Tho organisation of the overseas producers’ interests in the United Kingdom should be watched by an efficient agent of tho organisation, who should also keep tho producers informed of tho requirements of tho market.”

The report points out that tho system "of the identification of origin carries with it liability to loss ns well as gain of good-will. The report continues: Under tho present system the average cost of distributing imported fresh fruit within tho United Kingdom about equals the whole cost of growing, carrying, aud handling up to and including the primary sale in the United Kingdom. This matter should bo dealt with by tho Food Council. It is of great importance to tho United Kingdom consumer and tho overseas producer that there should bo a mobilisation of consumers. _ We must depend on providing such indications of origin that tho consumer may have the means of exorcising voluntary preference, and on educative publicity leading him to see that it is in his own business interest, apart from all sentiment, to buy from his own best customers.

in regard to research, the report stresses the need for economic as well as scientific investigation, and says; “There are at present difficulties in the way of financing the transport of fruit owing to possible deterioration during transit and storage. If necessary, we should ascertain and reduce these risks, which must be covered by insurance before the financing of fruit' can bo carried on as easily as tho financing of less perishable commodities. The Executive Committee, which it is proposed should be established, will organise and operate a campaign of educative publicity. It seems desirable that the Commission should have the advantage of the advice of sub-committees organised on a commodity basis, though the actual publicity will doubtless _bo supervised by a committee consisting partly of experts. Tho Commission will provide an intelligence service in order to obtain tho best information regarding forthcoming supplies as a basis of publicity, and promptly inform the Empire Producers’ Association in regard to competing _ supplies. It will undertake the direction, co-ordination, and assistance of research at home and overseas, acting through a research committee in order to ensure the duo influence of scientific experts and to avoid overlapping. It will carry out economic as well ns scientific research by the collection of data in regard to the deterioration of fruit in transit and similar problems. Tho Commission will include the interests of tho home producer as far as its functions are applicable to his case. If it is decided that the Imperial Economic Committee should continue to exist for tho purpose of advising the Empire Governments it will bo necessary to consider the relations of the Commission towards the committee; but the Commission might bo charged with tho duty of experiment on behalf of the commtiteo in cases'where larger schemes are deferred ponding the results of preliminary action.”

The report emphasises that organisation alone will not suffice to combat the advantage conferred on tho United States by its great protected homo market. It'strongly'supports the closer organisation of the fruit growers, and insists upon grading and packing standards being strictly maintained at tho point of export, and recommending tho Governments to assist financially and otherwise to that end. —A. and N.Z. Cable.