FRUIT WASTAGE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20492, 28 February 1941, Page 5

FRUIT WASTAGE

AUSTRALIAN SURPLUS 5,000,000 CASES THIS YEAR ORCHARDISTS INCENSED GROWERS’ SMALL RETURN (Reed. Feb. 28, 10.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, Feb. 28. Lack of export of apples and pears grown throughout Australia has created a grave problem alike for orchardists, particularly Tasmanians, and the Commonwealth Government. Australia’s apple and pear crop this year is estimated at 11,000,000 cases. The normal consumption within the Commonwealth is 6,000,000 cases. Thus there is no market for the remaining 5,000,000 cases which are destined to go to waste. The Commonwealth Government attempted to grapple with the problem by the creation of an appple and pear acquisition board whose job is to acquire the-whole crop and sell it to the best advantage and, by pooling all the funds, ensure that every grower will receive some return, whether his apples are sold or allowed to rot on the trees. No Cheap Fruit The* board is not concerned with providing cheap fruit for the people. Instead, it insists that only the best varieties of apples and pears shall be marketed and that what remains shall either be allowed to rot on the trees, fed to livestock or buried. Thus approximately 700,000,000 apples will not. be allowed to reach the consumers for fear of glutting or depressing the market for the. choice varieties. which alone form the base of the financial 'POOL. ■ , , . " Growers everywhere are greatly incensed at the operation of the acquisition plan under which literally thousands of orchardists are receiving only • the board’s fixed price of 4s a case for apples and pears which are bringing 12s a case on the open market.