BRITAIN’S FRUIT

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 11 June 1926, Page 5

BRITAIN’S FRUIT

SUPPLIED BY FOREIGNERS. TRADE WITHIN EMPIRE PROSPECTS OF DEVELOPMENT BY CABLE—PBESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. LONDON, June 9. Tlio Imperial Economic Cbmimittees fruiiti i-repont, which hats 'beeii issued, draws xiifctenition to the fact tha/t £4B>500,000 worth oil fruit was imported into the United Kingdom ini 1924, vet the consumption of limit per head is still much, smaller than ini the United States. Over threeq narters; of the fruit imparted into the United Kingdom is foreign and there is great scope for an increase in. importation from the Empire. By am increase: in consumption andi a transference of custom. to the Empire, the committee is of the opinion that a- greater pant oil the fruit from foreign countries, except grapes and oramgeisi .for winter consumptiion, might., fatfc no very distant date, 'he obtained from. British sources. The resia'Sb will he a corresponding growth in the overseas mjarkefsi for manufacturer's, owing to the development. of important districts of the Empire su'i.taibdei for the production of fndt. While foreign ,countries, which principally supply the United Kingdom with fruit, brought from the United Kingdom goods valued from seven, to seventeen .sJhillings per head of their populations, Empire* countries Which sent fruit to the: United Kingdom brought from £3 to £.17 per head. There were three: outstanding facts in. the present position: (1) In regard to the number of fruits, of which apples were the most important, the United Kingdom market was dominated by .the fluctuating overspill! from the vast production of United States; _ (2) Fresh fruit- from, soul them Dominions ctxm.es into the United Kingdom market at a time when it is relatively hair© of other /supplies, 'but dried fruit is exposed to the competition of the low wages countries of the Mediterranean; (3) The moist important, fruit of the tropical colonies in East and West Atlantic is the banana., and) at present the (.supply of bananas to the United Kingdom., except from the Canaries, is monopolised by an organisation subject ta Ame n flan control.

Tire committee considered three policies with a; view to- defending aaidl cleEmpire. They were unable to recommend .schemes of embargo* pad license, owing toi the limitations imposed by the mast favoured nation clauses of various treaties. Policies and customs preferences, according to the decision of the* Imperial Conference of 1923, does not come within the purview of the committee. Thus the only policy which will! be immediately available is the policy of developing voluntary preference on the part of the consumed, based on am organisation of Empire producers and a mobilisation of United Kingdom, consumers.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

The committee considers that representation on the Empire producers’ organisations in the United Kingdom as pivotal of the whole scheme of Empire marketing organisation. The overseas producers’ interests in the United Kingdom/ .should be watched by an eft'icient agent of his organisation, who should also keep the producers informed of the requirements of the market. The report points out that the system of identification of the country of origin carried! with it the liability of the loss' as well! as the gain of good will. The committee coincludes that under the present system the average cost of distributing imported fresh fruii.t within the United Kingdom about equal's the whole cost of growing, carrying and* handling up to ank.li including the primary sale in. the United Kingdom. This matter should be dealt with by the Eoodi Council. It is of great importance to the Uniited Kingdom consumer and' the oversea® producer that there shon/lidi be mobilisation of consumer®. We must depend on. providing such, indications of the country of origin that the consumer may have the means of exercising his voluntary preference, and on, educative publicity leading him to see that it is in. liis own business i nfereislt, apart from all sentiment, to buy from our best customers.

In regard to ire search, the report sitresises the need for economic as well as scientific i Rve-s/tigaitionand says there are at present difficulties in' the way oif financing the transport of fruit, owing to possible deterioration during transit land storage. If necessary, we should ascertain and reduce these risks, which must be covered by insuiunee before the financing of fruit can be carried on. as easily aisi thei financing of less iperiishiabte' commodities. The executive comim iiSKiom, which it is proposed ishiould be established, wilt organise and operate a campaign of educative publicity, and it iseems desirable that the commission should; have the advantage of the advice of sub-com-mittees, organised on ia commodity basis, though the atotuaJj publicity will doubtless Ibe supervised by a committee. t commission will provide an inteflilice service, in order to obtain the information in regard to the .forthcoming supplies as a basis for the publicity, and will promplty inform Empire producers in regard to •coimipeting supplies. _ It _wilfli undertake the direction, co-ordination and assistance, of research, both at Home and overseas, anting through a research committee im order to ensure the due influence of scientific experts, and. to avoid the overlapping of the expert’s efforts. It will carry out economic. Us well as scientific research, by the collection, of data in regard to the deterioration, oif fruit in transit, and similar problems. The commission will alto include the interests of the home producer as far as its functions' are applicable to Ms case. If it is decided that the Imperial Economic Ooimniiittee will continue tio exist, for the purpose of advising the Empire Governments. it will be necessary _to consider the relations of the commission' toward the committee, blit- the commission might be charged with the duty of experimenting otn, (behalf of the committee in eases where larger '.siehem.es are deferred pending the results of preliminary action. The report emphasises that organisation alone will not suffice to 'combat tihe iadvianitage conferred on the United State® by it® great, protected home market. It strongly supports the closer o.rgandsa!tion of fruit-growers, and insists upon grading and packing standards feeing , strictly maintained ct, the point of export, ireeamm ending Owemnnents to assist financially and cthemvi.se to that end.