NELSON PEAR INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20722, 15 November 1930, Page 20

NELSON PEAR INDUSTRY.

INCREASED EXPORT URGED.

The Nelson Provincial Pear Growers' Associa:.icn, at a meeting at Tasman, resolved to register, and to affiliate with the Sew Zealand Pnritgrowers' Federation. Mr. Arthnr McKee was elected chairman, and Mr. H. P. Wfcinham, secretary. Committees were set np representing Riwaka, Stoke. Redwood's Yalley, Mahana and Ixifftr Moatere. The chairman stressed the need for better organisation of the pear indastry, the salvation of which lay in the development of the export trade. So headway has been made in export dnrinz this past three seasons, be said. A disturbing fact was that this season only 50,C0G cases were exported and 57,000 cases ccol-stcred, leaving 300X00 cases to be absorbed on the Dominion markets daring a brief period. Prices on local market, in some instances, did not cover the cost of packing, transport and marketing. One of two things most happen —either vigorous measures must be taken at once to intelligently handle the pear crop, or the axe mast be hronght into requisition. The position, however, Mr. McKee added, was not without hope, for there appeared to be good prospects of substantially extending and opening new markets on the Continent, in Sonth America, Canada, and other countries.

The following resolution, to be submitted to the Export Conference, was carried unanimously;—" That the very unsatisfactory position of the pear industry, due to increasing production and the anremunerative prices obtaining on the local market, calls for vigoroos measures, designed to place a considerably greater proportion of the crop on overseas markets, and that, as a first essential to safe marketing, the Control Board arrange well in advance of requirements for special chambers in ull ships carrying pears."

It was farther resolved that various experimental shipments of pears be arranged, and, failing the Government guarantee thereon, the Control Board protect growers in a sum equivalent to the Government guarantee.