GREAT VALUE OF PULPING VENTURE TO THIS DISTRICT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22759, 4 October 1948, Page 6

GREAT VALUE OF PULPING VENTURE TO THIS DISTRICT

SUPPORT OF GROWERS Gisborne vegetable-growers have expressed their interest in the local pulping venture because they realise that in taking their flush of production it serves as a protection for them as growers. As there is a stalemate in the issues under consideration by the Gisborne canners until a statement is made by the Price Tribunal the Gisborne Commercial Gardeners’ Association, at a meeting on Friday night, de cided to write to its Dominion council to have the matter raised in Wellington.

The future of tomato-growing in the Gisborne district formed the main subject of discussion and deliberation at the meeting which was presided over by Mr- C. W. Cowan. It was stated that owing to the serious delay by the tribunal in issuing a ceiling price for factory tomatoes, growers and interested parties were unable to make any headway in the district. The Rural Development Division of the Department of Agriculture had interviewed growers last season to gather information on costing and were to have issued a costing schedule for the use of growers and the tribunal alike.

In the meanwhile, it was explained, the lifting of the exchange rate had seriously interfered with the export of tomato products. New Zealand expected to export from 8000 to 10.000 tons of tomato products from the Dominion this season, but owing to the exhange adjustment business had been brought practically to a standstill. Minister’s Advice In fact, advice had been received from the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. E. L. Cullen, through the Dominion council of the association, that growers should limit their planting areas to cope with New Zealand requirements. . It was understood that Hawke’s Bay growers were taking little heed of that advice and intended to plant out 400 to 500 acres of tomatoes on the scale of their previous returns of £8 10s per ton. Apparently, it was thought they could meet the competition, ilj was said. It was decided that the secretary, Mr. L. J. Torrie, should write to the secretary of the Dominion council requesting that the subject of ceilings for factory tomatoes should be taken up with the Price Tribunal in an effort to have the question expedited. Maori Growers Form Sub-Section At the invitation of the president, several Maori growers from the Manutuke district were present at the meeting. The spokesman said it was their wish to form an association at Manutuke. Following an explanation of the constitution governing affiliated bodies, it was agreed that the Maori growers should join the existing association and form a sub-section at Manutuke. It was suggested that growers in other areas of the district might wish to do likewise in the interests of having the industry, involving kumeras and other vegetables, organised and some co-operation in the matter of marketing. In regard to marketing, a resolution by the Dominion council was read and members were asked to give the subject some thought prior to the next meeting of the Gisborne association. The question was one that had been exercising the minds of all growers, it was said, and the council wished to have the views of associations to enable it to formulate a policy that would meet with universal approval. The council’s resolution was that the conference approved the principle of co-operative marketing on a competitive basis, but was entirely opposed to making vegetable marketing of any kind a monopoly.