GRADING OF VEGETABLES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 8 August 1928, Page 9

GRADING OF VEGETABLES

A VOLUNTARY SYSTEM (By Telegraph—Special to "The Mail”) WELLINGTON, 7th August. Both vegetable growers and retailors having approached the Minister of Agriculture on Hie question of vegetable packing for the market in the last low days, the Department of Horticulture is advocating a system of voluntary grading. Compulsory grading is asked by tlie growers, but owing to the impossibility of adequate inspection it is considered that this is impossible. The voluntary grading is done by the growers themselves, and specially printed labels-, sold by the'Department, are affixed to each case of fruit and vegetables. At all the main markets the Department is prepared to ensure inspection of tlie fruit and vegetables, and to pass or correct the grading which they have received. The advantage of this system is that the inspection takes place under the eyes of the buyers. The “sticker” system, as it is called, was introduced for a period in 1924 and was functioning famously when it was killed by the adoption of the Nelson system, this working on the same lines inasmuch that labels were employed, but the inspection taking place at varibut the inspecting taking place at various central points of the Nelson district and an attempt being made to fix the prices of the various grades. The result was that a good proportion of tlie fruit was unsold. Under the “sticker” plan all the cases go under the hammer. Some of the growers arc opposed to Voluntary grading, but. this appears to bo the only practicable solution of the problem and proof of its effectiveness is given in the fact that when one man. who adopted the plan in 1924 ran out of stickers he was' forced to send portion of one consignment to the market unlabelled, and realised a irood deal less per wise on it than oil the other.