APPLE EXPORT TRADE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19274, 12 March 1926, Page 10

APPLE EXPORT TRADE.

GREAT EXPANSION AHEAD. SEASON'S HEAVY SHIPMENT. RECORD ALREADY ECLIPSED. CONSIGNMENT BY THE TAIROA. The apple export industry is assuming important • dimensions in Auckland this season. Shipments already made exceed the record, the largest total in any previous season having been about 6000 cases. Early in the season 2800 cases were sent to Wellington and were shipped by the first two boats carrying apples. Last week 4925 cases were loaded at Auckland on the Norfolk. It is interesting to note that this was the first direct shipment from Auckland of apples for Britain. They are consigned to Liverpool and London. It is anticipated that a total of approximately 30,000 cases will be shipped to British and South American ports from Auckland this season, in addition to 6000 or 7000 'cases for Honolulu, from which market there is at present a keen demand. The Tairoa yesterday loaded about 5000 cases, of which 5000 are for South America and the balance for London. Pending further shipments from Auckland other fruit is in the meantime being received and stored at the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Works, where the bulk of it will be graded by the officers of the orchard division of the Department of Agriculture. Supplies Prom Wide Area. That the apple export industry is capable of enormous development is indicated by the . fact that the ■ contributions to the shipments already made have been drawn from many parts of the province. Whangarei, Tinopai and Port Albert, in the more distant pfirts of North Auckland, supplemented the output from Huapaij. Henderson, Gratia and Albany, in the commercial orchard areas close to the city. Fair supplies were also forthcoming from Te Kauwhata, in the Lower Waikato. The districts- mentioned are all wellrecognised fruit producers and when the export trade is thoroughly established on the highly-organised lines planned by the orchard division should contribute a much more generous quota to the apple export trade of the Dominion. The organisation is now well in hand for the packing, assembling and grading of further shipments. It is a busy time for growers and graders alike, but they are working together hard and cheerfully to establish an industry that may mean much to the Auckland Province and to the Dominion. From the Auckland Province this season also wil 1 be sent about 500 cases of pears to the London market. This will be practically a trial shipment of varieties that have given satisfactory results when shipped from other districts. Packing and Grading. A high standard of packing and grading lias necessarily been decreed by the Government for export fruit. Full instructions as to packing and grading have been issued to' the growers and the work is carried out by , experts. In many instances the growers do their own packing, with a full knowledge of the high standard required, and forward the fruit to the cool stores to be graded. There are also groups of growers who combine and employ expert packers to pack the apples and make rejections according to the Government instructions. In any case the work of the packers is always subject to the inspection of the Government grading officer before a certificate for export is issued. TJte fruit is being shipped under individual packing numbers, if desired, or under the group or pool number of the local packing store. A Government GuaranteeEncouragement to the apple exporters to establish the industry is provided by a Government guarantee that the grower shall receive not less than Id per lb. for the fruit. When the apples are shipped the Fruit Control Board draws an advance of 10s a case from which is paid freight and other charges and the balance of the guarantee, roughly, 4s a case, is paid to the grower. Adjustments are subsequently made according to the account sales. .In any case the grower cannot receive less than Id per lb. for the fruit.