EXPORT OF APPLES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17631, 18 November 1920, Page 6

EXPORT OF APPLES.

NEED FOR SHIPPING SPACE.

GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY URGED

FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY.

Subsidised shipping facilities for th» export of New Zealand apples were the subject of a statement by Mr. Coleman Phillips, of airarapa. yesterday. Be said he considered the Government's offer ' of a subsidy of Id a pound on 200,000 cases of exported apples would not be of as much' assistance to the industry as the subsidising of one "of the established lines of steamers trading between New Zealand and the markets of the world would be. Steamers would be required to load apples for foreign markets during the months oi March, April, May and June. The difficulty experienced by fruitgrowers was how to get their fruit to market. They wanted steamer connection with Rio de Janiero, Argentine, Boston and New York. At present shipping companies occasionally made these connections, and when they did so they loaded their ships with wool, beef, lamb, hides and gum. In his opinion it would be easier for the companies to take 30,000 or 40,000 cases of apples during each of the months he had mentioned and that would give a great impetus to the apple industry. Mr. Phillips said there were now about 45,000 acres of commercial orchards in New Zealand and calculated at the rate of 120 trees to the aero this gave a total of 5,000,000 trees. All of these trees were not bearing but a considerable portion were. So far as the Auckland district was concerned there were 100, trees at Huapai 'and 30,000 trees at Tinopai, in the Kaipara district. He had just returned from a tour of inspection of the orchards in these localities and he had found there Were a great many trees there from four to six years old, some of which would come into bearing next season. The Henderson and Huapai orchard ists would want export facilities this season and this could be provided only by the Government subsidising ships to carry fruit to foreign markets. It was of the utmost importance that the Government should address itself to this matter immediately, if it really desired to aid the industry. Orchardists could not keep their fruit in cool store for any length of time in the hope of a vessel being able to take it eventually. Fruit should be shipped practically off the trees or as soon after it was picked as possible. Representations should be made to the Government by the fruitgrowers for assistance in the direction suggested and it should be expressly stated that this would help to a great extent to make the industry flourish.