EXPORT OF FRUIT

Northern Advocate, 26 July 1935, Page 10

EXPORT OF FRUIT

' LAST SEASON REVIEWED. SMALLEST SINCE 1929. EFFECT OF DRY WEATHER. [per Press Association.—Copyright:} WELLINGTON, This Day. A review of the past fruit' export L season was given by the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. C. E. Macmillan, when speaking at the New Zealand Fruit Export Control Boards conference yesterday. , . Mr Macmillan said that the heavy yield in the 1934 season, combined with the continued dry weather during the fruiting period, resulted in the past season’s apple crop in the majority ■of the commercial fruit-growing areas being a light one. Pear and storife fruit trebs were not so materially affected by the dry conditions, and -yielded good average crops. As the result, the 1935 season’s export was the - lowest since 1929, the total quantify .exported being ... 1,063,429 cases, comprising 942,296 cases of apples and 121,124 cases of pears. Of the quantity exported, 7703,770 cases of apples and 94,159 cases Of pears went to the United Kingdom, 80,164 cases of apples to . the Continent, 67,747 cases of apples to North America, 42,579 cases of apples to South America, 47,028 cases" bf apples and 26,965 cases of pears to Sweden, and 1008 cases of apples to the East. In with the 1935 export, continued Mr Macmillan, the Government guarantee would apply only to fruit-shipped to new markets. Apart from that the Government would contribute to the New Zealand Fruit Export Control Board's central fund, irrespective of claims, on a pound for pound.'basis, up to £12,500. In 1936 and 1937, where the growers’ average return was;; below the average rate determined by the board, the Government would pay to the board’s central fund 50 per cent, of the shortages, provided the agreed-ypon rate did not exceed-9/ (New Zealand currency) a cash, cf.f., overseas’ destinations, and provided the'fruit had been exported in, gccord; with the; Government’s export requirements. The liability of the Government under the arrangement was not to exceed, £12,500 for each year. Government assistance to the central fund would cease with the payment made for 1937.