EXPORT FRUIT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 9 November 1927, Page 6

EXPORT FRUIT

ADDRESS BY COLONEL GRAY LAST SEASON’S WORKING OF CONTROL BOARD Colonel Gray, chairman of the N.Z. Fruit Export Control Board, who has recently returned from England, gave an address to orchardists in the Stoke Public Hall last evening. Col. Gray dealt' in detail with various phases of tiie Board’s operations, giving much valuable information arid clearing up a number of points on which exporters were not quite clear. There was an attendance of over 100, including growers'from various parts of the district. Air JL.Chisnall, president of the'Stoke Fruitgrowers’ Association, presided, and briefly introduced Colonel Gray. It was stated that this woukkbe the last season Colonel Gray would be with them--a fact regretted by all; but .it was hoped to. have his guiding hand as he would not be leaving New Zealand. On rising to speak, Colonel Gray was . warmly applauded, lie said that lie intended, to deal. briefly with what had during the year,’, and with the • faults' that, had come under his notice. First he dealt with the advertising campaign-' The men appointed to go round the country in-vans did extremely good work. Over 11,000 applications were received from retailers for the posters, and there was unstinted praise for the backing and grading of New Zealand fruit. -In addition the High Commission- - er’s office had undertaken quite a lot of publicity, an officer being sent round fo all exhibitions to give information as to New Zealand fruit. There was dose cooperation between the High Commissionr er.’s representatives and the Fruit Board. After paying all expenses, there was £7OO to commence next season’s campaign'.

PEAR SHIPMENTS - Touching, on.' pear shipments, Colonel Gray said that in the case of small trays they could have held* four or five more, while the larger trays were too closely packed and were crushed. The lonic’s shipment arrived in dreadful condition; the Pakeha’s was patchy, and the Horovata’s were very good. One point he to make was that traders never conjplained of the number of pears in a tray, so long as they arrived in good condition. He begged growers to put plenty of' wood-wool in their trays so that the fruit would not work through to the .wood. If was almost necessary embed the pears just as chocolates - were. There was a great variation in pear prices. Keiffers and Vicars aroused nd 'enthusiasm, and it was hardly worth while sending them. Probably the best cairier was the P. Barry. He could hardly describe the deplorable condition of.the lonic’s shipment; it was not the fault,' he thought, of the shipping company, but was due simply to bad packing.

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

Touching on general administration, broadly . speaking, everything worked '■ well at the other end. On an average ’-when the season got going, £12,000 to £15,000 was drafted to New Zealand every week. As to Cox’s the only market for them was. London, and the Board had arranged for this in the future. He understood there had been a. good deal of discrepancy in the returns from West Coast, ports, but by diverting some of the shipments.to other ports a fair average.return had been received. Colonel Gray .went on to explain why he had diverted. certain consignments to .Glasgow instead of the port they’were consigned to.

RESTRICTING BROKERS Dealing with. brokers, it was considered by. many growers last year that by ,restricting the number it would do away with competition. But exactly the reverso, had happened. It was absolutely beyond question, that a limited number of. , brokers knowing what each other were doing, could deal .with the fruit on 4 much more satisfactory basis than could an unlimited number. At the mpm'ent he .believed New Zealand stood high in the opiriion of *the trade. A.As to gift fruit, Colonel Gray asked that growers who wished to send fruit to friends to let’the Board know as soon as possible; and tp send it as “sender’s fruit-’ -and; not as “gift.” ‘Touching on the market last year, Colonel-Gray said that owing to the fact of some West Australian fruit going to .Hamburg, New. Zealand fruit had come into More -prominence,; and lie was certain New Zealand was going to get a jolly good , start next season. ,- When he left) England no New Zealand apples ✓could be procured in London under lOd a lb., ; All through the season there was competition from America. American glowers had found to their satisfaction that they could put fruit on to the English market all the year round, and would continue to do so. . Colonel Gray went into detail ,with .the'condition in which, so™? of the New Zealand shipments Opened up. ■ LAST SEASON’S PRICES

“Don’t think,” said Colonel Gray, “that last season’s prices are going to be a regular thing. Everything was in our favour, and 12s to 14s can be taken as tho normal prices to be obtained.” ~ As to Continental shipments, Colonel ' \Gray expressed the opinion that in spite tof the big prices obtained in Hamburg for Australian fruit last season, it was the duty of growers to take a safe price rather than to gamble on a market which was so easily upset. Figures concerning _ the estimated American crop next season were given, lmt Colonel Gray said he could not verify the estimates given, although it . was considered that the crop would be a short one.

Some markets did quite well, but others did not. Frankly, Liverpool was a disappointment to him; hut it, was rather difficult, to dispense with this port altogether. The Liverpool Exchange have made a good offer conditionally on all fruit being put through the ' Exchange. He was quite satisfied that the firms employed there by the Board did their best last season. Cardiff and Hull did very well; while Bristol, where the fruit caught the market bare, did extraordinarily well. a COOL STORED FRUIT As to the fruit which was cool stored in Southampton, the cost of 7 weeks’ storage, etc., was 8d a case; and it averaged Is a case more than that sent

on to London from Southampton out of the saints ship. Explaining (lie price received for fire Coriuthie’.s shipment, it was stated that llio consignment arrived following 10 days’ rain, which had a. bad elieet on the English small fruit crop, and the prices obtained were undoubtedly lucky OI’CS.

■ The cool stored Stunners held beautifully,; the Statesmen were in fair order and'ripened faster ill cool store than did the Stunners; and Homo Beauty were absolutely perfect, and could have, he thought, been held in'cool store for another 2 .months.. The experiment was carried out in view of .the trade s criticism that our late fruit did not keep up. The stuff did stand up. and he believed il, always would if properly cool stored. He thought it safer to cool store fruit at the other end.

EM/PIRE MARKETING BOARD As to the Empire Marketing Board, Colonel Grav explained what the Board did, and that it would in future work on. the’ pre-shipment history of fruit. An advertising campaign was also being undertaken. It would increase the- consumption of fruit he was certain, but lie did not .know whether it- would increase the price. ’ At this stage Colonel Gray said lie could talk for quite a long time, „bqt suggested it would be better if questions were asked him, which he would endeavour to answer.; • QUESTIONS ANSWERED

A large number of questions followed. Answering one grower, Colonel Gray said half-cases sold readily at Home, but did hot bring more in proportion. The trade had not- asked for half-cases. Jonathans and Cox s would pay in trays. If Rokewoods arrived in good condition they should hold their own; but ho did not think the average prices obtained last season would he kept up. Summers had arrived to stay. . , Pears should be made tight with wood wool. Growers all worked for a big-bulge, but despite this 60 per cent, arrived flat. But there was nothing like the bruising last season as was the -case the season before.

He had tried out the weight of cases. Some of the full one's did not weigh 40ibs. Delicious and Stunners 'weighed in; hut there was quite a variation in weight at' the other end. But brokers were not kicking after the first few shipments: ■, He strongly urged growers to continue wiring. All Canadian • and American cases coming to New Zealand were wired the same as those sent to England. The trade made a bit of a set against the big stuff. The 2|-’s were not always true. He thought that in many instances the fruit must have shrunk considerably. Shipments of 88’s were a bit risky; but were -jvorth trying if growers wished. - Replying to a question as to the decision of the grading conference to have a* “good” grade, it had been dealt- with by the Board. He personally was not keen about it, hut- had voted for it as the growers seemed to desire it. How: ever, he was a bit nervous as to how it would he taken at the other end.

As to the report that Otago fruit brought better prices .than Nelson, Colonel Gray said he did not know anything about the 26s which it was said ibis fruit realised. The account sales did not go through the Board. The Otago fruit sold, at Covent Garden was up to the.-Nelson standard but no better. There would come a time every season wheVi Otago fruit- would get better prices than Nelson as their reel stuff came on the-market when Nelson was going off. Otago people put up mighty good fruit. He thought the time would come when our fruit couldHiest be-disposed of by

private treaty at Covent Garden. Asked if he had anv suggestion as to f.o.b. sales. Colonel Ofav replied in the negative, as he considered it 100 risky. The Board had to look alter the inforests ot the vast, majority of growers. He realised that one or two people might, lie getting a knock; but he did not think it was going to benefit the rest of the growers. (Applause.) After a short discussion oil the .question of a “general pool” (reported under a separate heading in T\is issue), a hearty vote of thanks was passed to Colonel, Grav for his informative address.

in replying. Colonel Gray relerred to I life fact l lint. Mr Stephens, the Nelson representative on the Board, was going Home next season The Act provided that any vacancy oil file Board could be filled by the Governor-General, and the Board would deal with iar- sisiiev at the next- meeting, when u Nelson grower would be appointed.