APPLE PRICES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 1 December 1945, Page 4

APPLE PRICES

MORE WANTED FOR COX’S “NOT WORTH WHILE,” SAYS A LARGE GROWER That the Government would be driving tRc orehardists to cut down more of their Cox’s Orange trees if it did not move to give a greater price differential for this variety in the export trade was the opinion expressed yesterday by a" Moutere Hills fruitgrower whose output is about 8000 cases a year. It has been reported that 500,000 cases of apples would be shipped to Britain from New Zealand in 1946 and that 400,000 of these would be from the Nelson fruit districts. The prices arranged are said to be 18s sterling per case f.o.b. for Cox’s Orange and 9s sterling f.o.b. for other varieties. With exchange added the Government would be receiving 22s 6d a case for Cox’s and 11s 3d for other varieties. The grower would be receiving a little over 7s a case for these Cox’s. In conversation yesterday the orchardist mentioned above cited his own case in the 1945 season: Total crop 8101 cases. Cox’s Orange, which formed about a third of the number of trees in the orchard, produced 994 cases of apples, 236 cases of “Fancy” and 758 “Commcrf ial.” Sturmers, with about a third of the number of trees, produced 883 cases, 805 of which were “Fancy” and 78 “Commercial.” If the Cox’s had been Sturmers this orchardist would have had about 2000 more cases of “Fancy” grade fruit without any extra cost of production. The Sturmer price for “Fancy” is approximately equal to the “Commercial” price for Cox’s Orange. Cox’s Orange cost 3d to 6d a case more for handling than ‘ Stui’mer. “We all know that Cox’s Orange is a temperamental variety,” stated this grower. “That it is also greatly sought after abroad is shown by the much higher price Britain is prepared to pay. That difference should be adequately reflected in the return the grower receives for Cox’s compared with that for other varieties. At present. and at the figure quoted for next season, it definitely does not pay to bother with them. Some of us have been persevering and relying on the re-opening of the export market to compensate us for growing Cox’s, as it used to do. If the Government are to take the lion’s share of the difference is it any wonder that orehardists say they are going to get rid of Cox’s?” asked this grower.