CITRUS FRUIT

Northern Advocate, 8 June 1933, Page 4

CITRUS FRUIT

WHANGAREI PRODUCT. ‘a market in south. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE APPEAL. The problem of discovering whether there is a good demand on southern markets for citrus fruits lias been occupy iug the attention of the Whangarei Chamber of Commerce for some time past, its object being to try to indime local growers to ship their fruit in ac. endeavour to keep open the reciprocal service between Whangarei and the south.

Inquiries were instituted among southern chambers, and the Whangarei chamber has received a reply from Wellington that there was an excellent market for citrus fruits there, and especially for lemons, which were realising high values.

A message from Wellington states that tin' secretary of tho chamber there, Air IT. S. Fairchild, said that as a result of inquiries from a 'Wellington firm lie discovered that, in regard to grapefruit, New Zealand could not compare with the Californian variety. Consequently there was not a very keen demand for the New Zealand frnit, but payable prices would lie realised as Californian grapefruit was landing at a very high cost at present. Several members of the 'Wellington I council strongly protested against the statement made by the Wellington fruit merchants that New Zealand grapefruit did not compare favourably with the Californian frnit. It was contended that locally-grown grapefruit was of excellent quality and New Zealand should not decry its own products.

The president of the Whangarei chamber, Air C. V. Stringer, stated this morning that the chamber had continually received reports from local people that thej'e was no market in the South for citrus fruits. A considerable quantity was produced in and around Wha ngarei, and as the chamber felt it was being wasted, and that it was nor commanding the prices it should, inquiries had been made in the Smith about tho state of the markets, Tho reply had been very favourable.

Aii attempt was also being made, ho said, to induce local growers to grade and pack their fruit properly, the common experience being that poorly packed and graded fruit obtained inferior prices. The chamber was endeavouring to give some lead to the growers in that direction, and hoped to formulate a. plan at the meeting this evening. Mr Stringer said lie did not agree with the statement made in Wellington that New Zealand grapefruit was inferior to the Californian product. He believed that the popularity of the imported fruit was due to the method of packing adopted by 'the Americans.

In view of the reply from Wellington, Mr Stringer considered there was now an excellent chance for northern growers to sell their fruit at profitable prices, and the chamber was resolve] to do as much as it possibly could to assist in that direction.