UNIFORM GRADING FOR APPLES AND PEARS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 26 April 1937, Page 3

UNIFORM GRADING FOR APPLES AND PEARS

DECISION OF AUSTRALIAN FRUIT CONFERENCE Action to have uniform grades adopted by all States for apples and pears sold for home consumption was taken by a conference of interstate representatives and departmental experts which ended in Melbourne a few days ago (reports the “Argus” i. The- conference decided to recommend to all State departments of agriculture that only three grades —“extra fancy. fancy.” and “good"—be gazetted for sale this season. II was agreed that a larger percentage of superficial blemish than usual should be allowed on fruit graded as “good." It vva;; contended that the-i fixing of only three grades for this season was the best method of ensur- j ing that Ihc henvj crops it> the Eastern j Stales would not Hood the market and I

ruin prices Although New South Wales delegates supported the proposals of the conference it is believed that some difficulty may be experienced in having the uniform grades adopted in New South Wales. There are four grades in New i Soul’n Wales, and spirited opposition j is expected from growers in that State i to any effort to eliminate the lowest grade. In previous seasons Tasmanian ,

j and Victorian growers have sent to th' i Sydney market fruit which wjauld be included in the “domestic’' oi fourt) grade in New South Wales, but which was not good enough to enter the lowest grade enforced in their own States, Leading growers contend that the elimination of the fourth grade will have another good result for the in-dustry-—the encouragement of the public to buy more apples and pears if only the best arc placed on the market. This will be in accord with their plans for launching immediately a publicity campaign, decided on at the conference also, to increase the consumption of the fruit in Australia. Remarkable successes obtained by similar campaigns in other countries could, i! is thought, be emulated in Australia. Efforts to finance the campaign are being made.