THE FRUIT GUARANTEE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19474, 2 November 1926, Page 12

THE FRUIT GUARANTEE.

GOVERNMENT'S DECISION. CHANGE IN THE SYSTEM. PACKING AND MARKETING. • Government assistance to exporters of apples and pears is to be given again this season, but it will be in a different form from that given last season when the exporting growers were guaranteed a. net return of 3s 4d a case, or a bonus of one penny per lb. Under the new arrangement, the Government will pay the expenses of packing and marketing in excess of 10s 6d a case. By .it s grading and inspection system and export regulations, the Government will insure itself against the export of unsuitable fruit. There is no specified limit to the quantity of exported fruit covered by the guarantee. The claims in respect of last season, which was very unsatisfactory from the growers' point of view, have not yet # been finally assessed, but it is feared that the Government liability under the guarantee will run into something approaching £90,000. • * While they appreciate the assistance of the Government in the creation of an export market for apples and pears, the growers of Auckland Province are not wholly in favour of the new proposals. It was pointed out yesterday that the expenses of marketing vary according to the district of origin and the port of shipment, and that to ascertain the expenses incurred in marketing individual shipments, considerable clerical work would fall on the growers and on the Government. Apart from the additional expenses , thus incurred, there would be delaj( in making the final payments, a matter of importance to growers, few of whom are in a position to wait a lbng time for their money A suggestion was made that a guarantee of a gross return of 9s 6d a case would snit Auckland growers. For this amount, it was said, they could place their ■ fruit on the English market without lqgs, although that figure would not return a profit.

MARKETING OF TOMATOES. COOK ISLAND COMPETITION. GROWERS MEET MINISTER. The co-operaticm of the Government in reaching an agreement between New Zealand tomato growers and the Cook Island growers in order to avoid the dumping of Island tomatoes in the Dominion when the main local crop is being marketed was j, sought by Avondale growers yesterday, when they placed their case before the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. 0. J. Hawken. , Mr. G. J. Johnston said that between £20,000 and £30,000 was invested in the tomato-growing industry in the Avondale district. The growers thought' that the imports of Island tomatoes should be regulated during the period June 1 to November 1. If ; the last of the Island shipments arrived early in November there would be a month in which to clear the fruit before the local crop came on the market in December.

Mr. A. A. Carrey said that under present conditions growers had to take the chance of putting their mam crop \on : the market and having it swamped by'aft Island shipment; He did not believe in any idea of trying to extract a price of 2s 6d per lb. for their tomatoes. Such' a price was not fair to the consumers.'He preferred an average of 9d per lb. Only about. 5 per cent, of the crop was sold for 2s per lb, The average price was round about lOd. per lb. That price could not be considered excessive in view of the work involved in cultivating the tomatoes and also in viSw of the risk of growers losing their crop through disease?. In reply to the Minister, Mr. Currey oaid that 40 per cent, of the crop was marketed in November, 50 per cent, in December and 10 per cent, in January. If dumping could be stopped, he and other growers would be prepared to extend their glass-houses. He had known an Island shipment to arrive in Auckland on December 23, and, when the prices-were out down through such shipments, it was impossible for growers to recoup their looses in the same season. Mr. Johnston- said that October shipments did not pay the Island growers ay. the fruit was not in a good condition when it was marketed. Such shipments did the Islanders no good and caused the local growers harm. • -

Tha Minister said the growers would appreciate the position of the Government with regard to the Cook Islands, which were part of the Dominion. He could see that if the growers were to extend their operations it was essential that they should obtain payable prices fpr their produce. He would discuss with Sir Mam Pomare, Mimster-in-charge of the Cook Islands, the suggestion made by the growers and he would do his best'to get the Island growers to concentrate on marketing their tomatoes earlier so as to give New Zealand .cultivators a clear market for their main crop. The Minister also promised to consider the competition of Oalifnrnian grapes with the first crops of New Zealand-grown.

FOSTERING THE INDUSTRY. THE MINISTER'S INTEREST, TURNINfc A NEW PAGE. Expression of his interest in the expansion of the fruitgrowing industry of the Dominion was made by the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. 0. J. Hawken, when speaking to a number of Auckland fruitgrowers at luncheon yesterdav. " The Department of Agriculture," % Minister said, 'has oeen taking a very keen interest of late in the fruitgrowing industry. The Government his been with us, and we have been able to help the producers in certain directions. For a, long time, the fruitgrowing industry ip. New Zealand has not been a healthy one financially, and it is to be hoppd that very soon, as the growers, become ableto fully satisfy the local markets and also to export some of their fruit, a new paga will be turned and. the industry will become a prosperous one. "In the past the Government has encouraged growers to plant 'trees and,we have now reached the stage when - r *we must have help to market their fnHL' The Government subsidy to growers' of apples and pears for export is a step, in that direction. : "-'The fruit we export must be fust-class in, quality." It must be fruit that will obtain a bonus in the market over its competitors. As -Minister I would not agree to the payment of a subsidy on a second-, class article." • With regard to the importation.-of fruit there were many factors to be taken'into consideration, continued the Minister. /The consumers must be considered; rightly so. He believed the.time was apv proaching when New Zealand be able to grow all the fruit for its nwnts, and have a substantial surplus* available for export. lie believed that New Zealand-grown apples were better than the imported varieties, and he bad also gathered the viewpoint oi lemon, growers on the competition from ;the Italian citrus' fruits. He. believed the fruitgrowing industry was, worth ettand. he. hoped his. colleagues* in the Cabinet would agree with him that, they should do all thfsy...cpuljl .for, .the, gyowers, .V -'J_ ,V *. i The Minister also paid a tribute tci tjje keenness and efficiency of the officers of the Agricultural Department, referring to the very valuable work they were doing for the Dominion.