EXPORT OF ORANGES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21906, 15 September 1934, Page 13

EXPORT OF ORANGES

SOUTH AUSTRALIA DENIAL OF STATEMENTS (Received September 14, 9.15 p.m.) ADELAIDE, Sept. 14 " It is regrettable that certain interests have seen fit to circulate unfounded reports about the quality and price qf South Australian oranges," said the. Minister of Agriculture, Mr. A. P. Blesing, to a deputation of growers who desired to contradict statements which had been made in New Zealand. Mr. Blesing said South Australia was free from the Mediterranean fly. It was not correct to say that a South Australian monopoly of the export of oranges to New Zealand made them excessively dear. " Oranges can only enter New Zealand up to the quota fixed by the New Zealand Government, and there must be some central control over there," the Minister said. " All growers can ship on a pro rata basis according to their production, provided the fruit is of the high quality needed for export." " Complaints from New Zealand regarding the quality and price of South Australian oranges are the result of inspired propaganda organised by certain Australian fruit brokers who in the past were not interested in the trade, but now apparently desire to enter this market," declared the secretary of the Murray Citrus Growers' Association, Mr. N. Underwood, to-day. He said wholesale prices were subject to the supervision of the New Zealand Government, but retailers might have made exorbitant charges. If instances of genuine wastage of fruit were reported the loss was made good. Therefore the allegation in regard to wastage was incorrect. Reports from New Zealand were that the fruit was turning out quite well and results so far bad enabled growers in South Australia to receive Us to 7s a bushel net at the orchard.

Mr. A. G. Strickland, deputy horticultural inspector, said fruit was carefully inspected beforo leaving Australia and every precaution was taken to ensure its arrival in New Zealand in good condition. In the course of a speech in Wellington on September 5 Mr. R. H. Nesbitt, the newly-appointed Australian Trade Commissioner to New Zealand, said:— " I have been staggered at the prices marked 011 Australian fresh fruits in the shop windows. They can be bought in Australia at almost one-tenth of the prices paid here, so for the moment I am not talking about fresh fruit, but 1 am going to look into the matter very closely." In a reply to this statement by Mr. Nesbitt the secretary of the Murray Citrus Growers' Co-operative Association, Mr. Underwood, of Adelaide, said that Australian oranges were not being marketed in New Zealand at excessive prices.