FRUITGROWING INDUSTRY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 19 February 1915, Page 3

FRUITGROWING INDUSTRY

RAPID DEVELOPMENT. EXPORT OF APPLES. In the last few years, New Zealand has made a very great advancement in the fruitgrowing industry and it is understood that the Department of Agriculture regards the progress as phenomenal. The labour which the Department has put into the task of developing the industry on the right lines is at last being rewarded. For & number of years no very great progress was observed but the fact that the officers of the Department were doing rood wortc all along is now being demonstrated, says the Wellington correspondent of the "Herald." , , In the past many of the orchards were absolutely pest ridden and business men would not put their money into them. Now, however, the story is very different and year after year sees increasing areas of orchards being planted on the best systems known to the world. The expansion of the industry is shown in these figures, which indicate the acreage of land under fruit cultivation: — Year. Acreage. 1909 30,424 1910 131,769 igil j0.839 1912 ".'.'. 36,967 1913 38,797 1914 '42,350; To encourage the growth of fruit for exportation, the Agricultural Department a few years ago offered guarantees of certain monetary returns on apples sent oversea. The Department also helped the growers by giving frequent demonstrations in grading and packing. Figures illustrate how the efforts of the Department and the growers have been crowned with success:— Year. Cases Exported. lgiO 5,647 1911 6,031 1912 ... : 14,869 1913 : 03,000 < 1914 67,964 It was estimated that in this year the exportation of apples would total at least 120,000 and perhaps 150,000 cases. However, the war comewhat upset calculations. Most of the fruit exported from-.-New Zealand goes America. " Speaking, in the Nelson district last exportation season, Mr T. ■W;' Kirk,", the head of the fruit division of the Department of Agriculture, stated that ,the most conservative estimate he could make of the production of apples done in the season four v years ahead was 1,500,000 cases. In his own mind, he added, he was convinced that the quantity would by that time be considerably over 2,000,000 cases. This estimate is held by growers to indicate that the fruit industry is rapidly assuming proportions which will entitle it to rank with our foremost export industries.