PRIMARY PRODUCE

Northern Advocate, 26 July 1935, Page 4

PRIMARY PRODUCE

MARKETING OF FRUIT HIGH QUALITY IMPERATIVE. local Avenues neglected. [Per Press Association. — Covyright.} WELLINGTON. This Day. Some of the problems to be faced by the Primary Producers’ Board in the marketing of their products were referred to by Sir Francis Frazer, deputy chairman of the - Executive Commisison of Agriculture, in an address to the New Zealand Fruit Export Control Board’s conference yes-

terday. Sir Francis said that although prices in the last marketing season had generally been satsfactory, it was, however, significant that their improvement coincided with the lightening of the apple load on New Zealand’s principal market?, clearly indicating the importance of the regulation of ■ supply within reasonable consumptive • limits. The main aim of the board had; been to secure a premium price by concentrating on quality, and it had tended to regulate the export volume, but the problem ahead of the board, as far as Britain at any rate was concerned, was not merely the . maintenance of quality, but reasonable. regulation of quantities. In considering that aspect, it had to be remembered that New Zealand was not the only off-season supplier of apples. to Britain, ' and that made : the ‘ matter for international co-opera-tion of vital importance. In that respect it was more gratifying to note that a distmet move had been made by the Dominion with its principal competitor, Australia. Dealing with export markets, Sir Francis said the Fruit Board had realised the seriousness of the dangers that the future might reveal if the industry were content to rely almost exclusively on Britain, and the fact that, even during the ; past season, when international trading was difficult, nearly 25 per cent of the export--1 ed' fruit went to other than Britain, was indicative of the board’s pro-

gressive policy. The local market, said Sir Francis, was hot receiving as much attention as had been given to the export trade. The local market should be, ‘and possibly it was, the best market the fruitgrowers had. It was realised that this phase of of fruit trading was far more diffi-cult-to organise and control. One of - the difficulties, hitherto insurmountable, was the part played by lowgrade" in depressing the market to the detriments' 6? • fruit of good quality. Sir Francis said he understood that there was a danger of the Dominion . mark scheme being withdrawn. The withdrawal of the scheme Was to be regretted, unless the industry had something better in mind.