MARKETING FRUIT IN UNITED KINGDOM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 29 November 1933, Page 2

MARKETING FRUIT IN UNITED KINGDOM

[To the Editor] Sir, —Associations aro being asked to consider certain proposals of the Fruit Control Board anenl the system to be adopted in 1934. Last year 1 supported the Goodwin scheme firstly because the disastrous I returns for 1932 seemed to demand some improvement in our system of distribution and further centralised control, and a guaranteed price seemed to offer this. The guaranteed price did not eventuate, and this year’s operations cannot be claimed to have been any improvement over 1932. Mr Turner claims that this year’s returns will bear comparison with the previous year, but, as has already been pointed out 1932 was a disastrous year; and a continuance would speedily mean bankruptcy for the whole industry, so it must be conceded that the policy, or the effect of the policy operating this year, was failure. We are definitely faced with a curtailment of our marketing season at Home. Already the British growers are restive at our encroaching on what might be termed their legitimate marketing period. Analysis of account sales indicates that a drastic shortening'of the packing period is advisable, also a shortening of the period between orchard and saleroom. This means that a flood of fruit must be disposed of in a limited time and only utilisation of all reliable means of distribution can effect this. Any limiting of the distribution disaster. Centralised co-ordination of these means of distribution should belli the hands of the Board’s representative and not be handed over to any one broker. Regarding account sales, it is sufficient to say that account sales lor the first pool Jonathans the bulk of which were sold in April and May, have not yet come to hand. Beferring lr Argentine credit, I would say that it is more, important to have safe methods for coining seasons than to tie us up to a system of monopoly for the sake of geLting this money.—lj am, ALLEN FORSYTH. Mapua, 28th. Nov.