FRUIT INDUSTRY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 222, 6 September 1929, Page 9

FRUIT INDUSTRY

CONFERENCE OF GROWERS NEW MARKETS DISCUSSED. RECOMMENDATIONS TO CONTROL BOARDS. Wellington, Sept. 5. A special couieience of fruitgrowers represeuieu on the Control Doaru was neld 10-day and discussea new markets for Neu Zealand truit suipiueuvs tor consumption overseas anu other aspects relating to iruit exports from New Zealand. The cliauman ol the Fruit Control Boai\t, Mr.'J. L. Brown, presided and delegates were present iroin al! parts ot me Dominion. LUe ioliuwnig remit was carried: That the fullest investigation be made, into the disci epancies which occur between actual shipments by growers and the out-turn at the destination, also into the method ol claiming on such shortages and the amounts claimed tor, with particular reference to the final statements ui shoitage pools tor the 1928 season. The meeting carried a remit asking the Control Board to report on the possibility of simplifying the labelling, sticking and marking of eases. It vas decided to draw the board s attention to the recurring loss shown on account oi sales by cases shown as wasty, pillaged, slack and sample eve., and to ask the board if it could suggest a remedy. It was also recommended that the overseas representative of the Control Board be asked to report on the condition and appearance of fruit at its destination, particularly m regard to pack, case and labels, etc.., the report to be available previous to the annual export confeience. The meeting decided that should a surplus of export fruit accumulate, due to shipping not being available, the board should make arrangements with local cool stores to stole fruit until such surplus had been cleared, the surplus mentioned being fruit stored in open shed at Wellington. In view of the fact that sliced apples in export oases were one of the diroot causes of expense in reconditioning at Wellington, deterioration of fruit, and loss of weight per package owing to the removal of damaged fruit not replaced and deterioration in general appearance of the case by mould and reconditioning. it was agreed that the field officers and inspectors of the horticulture division, packing shed managers and growers generally should be urged to impress upon packers the necessity of putting up a pack in such a manner as would prevent such damage. LOCAL LOADING APPROVED, The advisability of shipping overseas the bulk of the Nelson fruit crop direct from Nelson was brought up by Mr. J. Dicker (Nelson), who said that the Nelson growers were losing money through shipping then; fruit via Wellington. The conference passed a resolution supporting the principle of local loading of export fruit wherever possible, and recommending the matter to the Control Board for favourable consideration. The action of the Control Board in seeking to prevent the export business from passing into private interests was confirmed b; the conference The shipping of ezpoit fruit in the same rotation in which it was received was recommended without discussion. A remit was carried asking that steps be taken to eliminate the rough handling of export fruit in Wellington and other places. Reference was made to the glutted state of the local pear market, and the Control Board w-as urged to seek for further outlets for the sale of pears. A recommendation that experimental shipments of apples and pears other than the varieties and sixes scheduled in the Government regulation be forwarded to the United Kingdom, the Continent of Europe. South America, Canada and other possible new markets, waa carried. It was decided to hold an export conference annually.