THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19169, 7 November 1925, Page 9

THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

I MARKET DEVELOPMENT. i (EUROPE AND SOUTH AMERICA. | CONTROL BOARD'S PROPOSALS. i ... ~ J Ihe fruit industry of the Dominion has j reached a stage at which it is imperative j to build up the trade, and in this conI unction Colonel Gray, chairman of the ! Fruit Export Control Board, Mr. Jaines j < ampbell, chief of the Horticultural Division of the Department of Agriculture, j and Mr. IL E. Napier, secretary of the I Control Board and manager of the New I Zealand Fruitgrowers' Federation, are at j present in Auckland. | Interviewed, Mr. Campbell said there I had been considerable development in the production of fruit in the Dominion i in recent years, with the result that the J local markets were not able to absorb | the output under conditions satisfactory |to the grower. At the same time there ' had been a substantial development of j the export trade, amounting last year !to about 240,000 cases. This had const: [ tuted a definite relief to the market, ami I yet local prices had been low. Growers | in districts that had not previously exi ported had come to realise that they must j improve their marketing conditions, either [ by export or by increasing the local | consumption of fruit as the result- of i better distribution. As a matter of fact, I both these remedies should be employed, | and it was to assist growers along these I lines that the department had arranged j the present tour. No Arbitrary Intention. ; Colonel Gray stated that, although | the Fruit Control Board had been given ! exceedingly wide powers, there was no ' intention to give arbitrary effect to them, i It was intended to operate along lines ; that proved acceptable to the majority j of giowers, whom it was hoped to bene- ! fit. Voluntary co-operation, not compul- ! sion, was the basis of the board's policy. ! It was proposed to ask growers to hand j over a percentage of their fruit to the | board, dealing themselves with the, bali ance as they thought fit. The board j would market the portion allotted to its I care in other portions of the United Kiug- ' dom than London, possib y also on the I Continent, and in South America. The ! idea was to widen the distribution areaI The board would arrange for direct shipI ments from New Zealand ports to Engj lish ports, and at the other end would | sell through wholesale firms, who would render the account sales direct to the I grower, just as London brokers would do. j " lie would shortly visit Britain, and 1 hoped to find out the best methods of | arranging shipments at periods and in ! quantities to meet the requirements of ! the English markets. With proper ori ganisation it should be possible to send I fruit forward in such quantities and at I such intervals as were asked for by ! merchants at the other end. ! With regard to South America, where | there was a limited market, Colonel Gray j said large issues were The j United States was keen to keep for herI self the Argentine market and to have | Australian and New Zealand fruits _ ex- ' eluded. An embargo had been officially ' declared on what was, so far as New j Zealand was concerned, a flimsy excuse, i Fruit from Australia and New Zealand I was barred because of the alleged pre- ! sence of fruit fly. As there was no fruit, j f:v in New Zealand, he was quite hope- ! ful that, with the assistance of reprej sentatives from tho British Government, ; it would be possible to ha\e the embatgo | removed. The Fruitgrowers' Part. Colonel Gray and Messrs. Campbell j and Napier, with Mr. H. S. Izard, local : member of the Control Board, and Mr. -W. H. Price, local orchard instructor, 1 attended a meeti.ig of fruitgrowers at j Albany. Colonel Gray spoke regarding I the necessity of developing the provincial | markets of England, and of direct shipments to such ports as Hull, Liverpool j and Glasgow, which had been previously ! supplied through London. He also stated ; his intention to exploit the possibilities I of the Continental market, preferably by ' direct sales ex London. According to the j recommendations of the British Economic i Food Commission, £1.000,000 was to be j spent in fostering trade, and he would i endeavour to have some portion of this i set aside for the purpose of extending i the British market for New Zealand fruit. He emphasised the necessity for growers 1 exercising the greatest, care in the selec- ; tion of brokers, otherwise their produce ! might find its way into the hands of ! agents who had their hands too full with . business from other sources to give the t New Zealand consignments proper atteu- ; tion. To meet tho necessity for export - I in" ear'k' varieties, it was hoped to nr- ■ range for two ships to leave New Zea- '< land" during February, which would give ■ the advantage of a prolonged market. j Dealing with shipping, Mr. Napier ! showed that once the grower placed his 1 fruit on a railway platform or a wharf ! he need nave no further trouble over its I sale or distribution.