IMPORTS OF ORANGES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 154, 1 June 1937, Page 5

IMPORTS OF ORANGES

FROM FLY-FREE AREAS. GOVERNMENT’S DECISION. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, May 31. Tho acting Minister of Customs, (Hon. Mark Fagan) stated to-day that consideration had been given by the Government to the question of the importation of oranges during the period from November to the end of April next. “It will be remembered,” said the Minister, “that permission has been granted for the importation of 180,000 export cases of South Australian oranges during tho period from May to November next. The Government considers htat this quantity together with the quantity of 90,000 export cases expected to come to hand from the Cook Islands will be sufficient to meet local demands. Should the quantity be found to be inadequate, however, as has already been stated, permission will be granted for the importation of further quantities. “The Government are under an obligation to ensure that shipments of oranges from other sources do not clash with shipments from Cook Islands in order that a satisfactory price may. be realised by tho growers in our island dependencies. In former years owing to the commitments of importers of Jamaican fruit, oranges were not in general permitted entry into the Dominion from fly-free areas in New South Wales and Victoria. The shortage of citrus fruit (caused largely by circumstances obtaining in supplying countries) and tho inordinately high prices at first realised for Jamaican fruit in November last when that first shipment was sold at auction at prices ranging up to 67s per case, was an experience which will be fresh in the public mind. The Government at that time stepped in and controlled the situation and made an arrangement with the importers to refund several thousands of pounds to the retailers and indirectly to the public in order to bring the price of oranges down to more reasonable levels.

“The Government are determined insofar as their responsibility lies to obviate if possible a repetition of that experience. It has, therefore, been decided that from the beginning of’ December (or earlier if found necessary) to the end of April next importers are to be free to import oranges from fly-free areas in Australia and from any fly-free country such as Jamaica without restriction as to quantity but subject of course to the production if the certificates required by the Department of Agriculture. This announcement is made in order that prospective importers of Jamaican oranges may be aware of the decision at the earliest possible dates and that importers -may be in a position to make such arrangements as thev desire for the importation of oranges, from fly-free areas in Australia during the period December to April next, both months inclusive. “The effect of this decision,” said Mr Fagan, “will be that during the period named so far as the New Zealand Government is concerned it will be open to any importer to-bring into the Dominion oranges in any quantity lrom the fly-free sources in Australia and the Australian Commonwealth Government have been notified of the altered position.”