FRUIT FLY IN ORANGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21153, 9 April 1932, Page 12

FRUIT FLY IN ORANGES.

EIGHTY CASES DESTROYED. PROTEST BY CITY MERCHANTS. About SO cases of oranges of a shipment of 400 ca*es brought to Auckland by the Niagara from Sydney on Monday were condemned by the fruit inspector on account ol the detection of infection by fruit fly »>nd were later burned. The fruit was ordered to be destroyed by the Department of Agriculture, .Wellington. Mr. Harvey Turner, managing-director of Turners and Growers, Ltd., stated yesterday that the fruit was in good condition and had been unnecessarily destroyed. Ha said that the department had refused to re-examine the fruit when requested to do so by Auckland fruit merchants. The Australian shippers, who had been advised of the position, had also been refused permission to take back the condemned cases. The matter had been taken up with the department in Wellington, said Mr. Turner, and the Director of Horticulture had advised that, in accordance with the regulations, it was not necessary for the rest of the fruit to be examined once the fly was found present and that the fruit had to be destroyed. Mr. Turner said condemned fruit had previously been shipped back or sold to outgoing ships and that the department's attitude had resulted in a wasto of good fruit and good money. The fruit fly could not survive, in New Zealand, as there was no suitable fruit on which it could live during the winter. He considered that the department's action was an arbitrary one and that the regulations should bo amended at least to enable such fruit to be returned to the port of origin. An acute shortage of oranges existed at present and there was a keen demand for the fruit, Mr. Turner concluded. The Sydney shipment was worth £1 a case. The Rarotongan crop of oranges was later than anticipated in coming forward and the market supplies wero confined to a shipment of Californian oranges brought by the Sonoma yesterday* A consignment of Fijian oranges would arrive by the Tofua on Mondav. The Californian oranges realised 44s to 50s a case at the markets yesterday. To-day's retail prices will be 4d and 5d each.