FREE MARKETING FOR N.Z. FRUIT IN GREAT BRITAIN

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 September 1950, Page 7

FREE MARKETING FOR N.Z. FRUIT IN GREAT BRITAIN

LONDON, September 28.—The bulk purchase of New Zealand apples by the British Ministry of Food had been satisfactory in some ways, but in. others it had reacted unfavourably against New Zealand, said the chan.mtni of the New Zealand Apple and Pear Marketing Board (Mr Harry Turner), in London today. Mr Turner was commenting on the decision to return to free marketing of New Zealand apples and pears in the United Kingdom. New Zealand growers had suffered, said Mr Turner, because the Ministry cf Food had fixed its prices upon the basis of the ceiling payment allowed to English growers, and had deducted 8s a case from the English price before fixing the free-on-board price for New Zealand. . , The Ministry had now decided to cease bulk buying afid, from the beginning of next year,, imports of New Zealand apples and pears into Britain would be under free market conditions, subject, probably, to agreement on arrival dates to avoid clashing with the English season. ; Mi’ Turner is visiting L°ndon to arrange for the distribution and marketing of New Zealand’s 1951 export crop, and he has been in consultation with the Dominion’s Minister of Marketing (Mr K. J. Holyoakej on certain aspects of the situation. On his way to London from New Zealand, Mr Turner flew to Jamaica to discuss the-possibility of expanding the New Zealand apple market in the West Indies. He also made similar inquiries in Canada and Venezuela, and he will pursue them further on his return journey. “The prospects-of selling New Zealand apples to Canada are good,” said Mr Turner. “We can deliver them m the Canadian off season, and we will, therefore, not compete with the Canadian grower.” While in London. Mr Turner has taken up with shipping companies the question of providing direct loadings at Nelson for at least part of the export fruit crop from that area. He said he had received a sympathetic nearing, but the shipping lines had emphasised the difficulties created by the slow turn-round of ships in Dominion ports. ' . Mr Turner will visit Scandinavia, Western Germany, Holland, and France before he returns m order to explore market possibilities.