PRICE OF FRUIT

Grey River Argus, 7 February 1941, Page 4

PRICE OF FRUIT

Reply to Criticism CHRISTCHURCH, February 5. “There may be complaints here about the high price of fruit, but in Auckland prices are very low —lower than they have ever been,” said the Minister for Marketing (the Hon. J. G. Barclay) replying in Christchurch in an interview to criticism of the Internal Marketing Department. “Fruit is later in coming in here than in Auckland and is always high priced at this time of the year in Canterbury.” With the object of making every possible arrangement to short circuit supplies of fruit from the producer to the consumer, the Director of Internal Marketing (Mr. F. R. Picot) would in a few days visit Auckland, Mr. Barclay said. The director last week visited Canterbury. There being little prospect of any apples being shipped overseas this season, the Marketin Department was using every possible means to get apples into consumption in New Zealand during the season, the Minister said. The position was that the Dominion shipped more than 580,000 cases last season, and the apple crop was expected to be lower by between 600,000 and 700,000 cases this year. Growers were being paid 51d a case more this season. When criticism of the department’s policy was referred to him, Mr. Barclay said that growers in the Nelson district still had some problems and complaints. “But, by and large,” he commented, “they are satisfied that the Government has done the right thing in buying the fruit.”