EXPORT OF APPLES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20867, 8 May 1931, Page 7

EXPORT OF APPLES.

NEW AUCKLAND RECORD. FIGURES FOR THE SEASON. Exports of apples from the Auckland Province this season will reach a record quantity. Up to last Saturday, 100,000 of apples had been received at the grading stores, and it is confidently expected that approximately 20,000 cases more will come forward before the last shipment for the season toward the end of the month. Last season exports of apples reached the then record level of approximately 105,000 cases. The Department of Agriculture has stipulated that the final picking date for the season should be May 12, but indications are that a large number of extentions of time will be allowed where the fruit is not too mature. The last loading for the season is scheduled for about the end of May, and there are many orchardists who have an appreciable portion of the later varieties not harvested. A big percentage of this season's shipments to date have been consigned to the Continent. Next week the Hertford is expected to lift approximately 33,000 cases, of which 20,000 cases will go to Continental centres on consignment. By the end of the season it is anticipated that well over one-third of the season's exports will have been shipped to the Continent. Although the total exports will bo well over previous totals, a further 10,000 or more cases would have been available, but for russet which attacked Dunns rather severely. Shipments of this variety have been well below earlier bookings. 'Particulars of prices for any Auckland shipments made this season have not' yet been received.

NEW MARKET FOR BUTTER, —tBELGI UM'S IMPORTS GROW. POSSIBILITIES FOR NEW ZEALAND M. A. Nihotte, Belgian Consul for New Zealand, has been investigating the possibilities of Belgium as a market for New Zealand produce,"and especially for butter. In 1928 Belgium was classed among the butter-exporting countries. To-day. however, the position in changed, and Belgium is a large importer. In fact, it comes next after England and Germany. England is undeniably the largest importer of butter in the world, purchasing more than 3,000,000 quintals, or 1001b., annually, and Germany is next with 1,300,000 quintals. "For the year just ended, 1930," M* Nihotte reports, "Belgium's importations of butter amounted to a value of 253,789,000 francs —approximately £1,450,223. Compared with the preceding year the difference is enormous, for in 1929 the value of the imports of butter was only 130,455,000 francs—about £745,457. Therefore, it is not very astonishing that butter should arrive from different foreign countries. Denmark and Holland are the principal suppliers to Belgium, and the quantities in kilos (1 kilo equals 2.201b.) sold by those countries for each month during 1930 was as follows: Denmark. Holland. , Month. Kilos. Kilos. January . . . 347.00(1 277,000 February .. 417,000 272,000 March . . . . 268,000 3-10.600 April . . .. 197.400 ' 337,200 May * . . . . 310,700 335,700 .Tune .. .. 325,700 325.200 July . . . . 232,600 214,100 August • .. 176,500 f 4351.800 September .. 298,456 335,918 October . .. 212,414 29J1.952 November . . 326.548 242,032 December . . 654.666 362,658 Total, kilos . 3,800,284 3,784,190 "The totals for 1929 were as follows: Denmark, 875,915 kilos; Holland, 2,624,976 kilos. France has also increased her sales in Belgium, and in 1930 190.398 kilos were imported, compared with 151,032 kilos in 1929. Likewise England in 1930 re-ex-ported 773,442 kilos of butter to Belgium, as compared with 552,121 kilos during the preceding year. "Tho total imports from other countries have also increased considerably, showing an amount of 1,701,893 kilos for 1930, against 132.784 kilos in 1929. Among those other countries particular mention should be made of Lithuania, Argentine Republic, Finland, Poland and Estonia. Altogether, then, it is clear that Belgium is becoming an important market for foreign butter. Why should not New Zealand participate in this tra'de ? The duty is light, approximately equal to 2s 4d per 2201b., or say, 6d per-box."

. ' NEW ZEALAND FRUIT. TRICES IN LONDON. LONDON. May 6. The New Zealand apples brought by the Tairoa, Rangitata and Fordsdale sold as follows Cox's, 14s to 17s; Delicious, lis to 12s 6d; Jonathans, lis to 13s 6d. Clairgean pears in boxes brought 12s 6d to 13s. CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY. AN INTERIM DIVIDEND. MONTREAL, May 6. After a meeting of the directors of the Canadian Pacific Railway to-day the president, Dr. E. W.„Beatty, said that in view of the fact that the prospective earnings of tho company could not be estimated with any degree of accuracy, owing to the unusual conditions prevailing, the directors had decided,-instead of declaring the usual quarterly dividend at the rate of 2.j per cent., to declare an interim dividend of li per cent, and to await tho results of the subsequent months' operations before finally deciding the rate that will be paid for the full year.

SEARCH FOR GOLD. PROSPECTING IN THE SOUTH v A good deal of prospecting has been going on in the back country of the Kurow-Marewhenua district of North Otago during the past few months, a greater number of miners' rights having been issued by the mining legistrar during the last three months than for any two years previously. Some good samples of gold obtained by prospectors huve been brought into Oamuru, and* several claims have been applied /or, which will be dealt with at ail early date. It is well known that there are considerable quantities of alluvial wash in the district being prospected, but the difficulty has been the lack of an adequate supply of water, lb is hoped to overcome this by improvement to water races and the construction of dams. AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE. (Received May 7, 9.45 p.m.) SYDNEY. May 7. The following are to-day's quotations on the Sydney produce markets: — Wheat.—The price is firming. Bulk is selling at 2s lOgcl; bagged, nominally to 2s Jl|d; growers' lots, ex truck at Sydney. 2s 7d, equivalent to 2s at country stations. Flour: £ll. Pollard and bran: £3 10s. Potatoes: Tasmanian, £6; Victorian, £4 10s. 'Onions: Victorian, £4 ss. Oats: White, 2s 6d; Algerian, 2s. Maize: 3s 9d. Prices at Adelaide are:—Wheat, 2s flour, £6 17s 6d; bj-an, £3 15s; pollard, £4 10s; oats, Algerian, 1b 6d.