CITRUS FRUIT GLUT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21911, 21 September 1934, Page 14

CITRUS FRUIT GLUT

CONCERN IN AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND'S EMBARGO ANXIETY FOR REMOVAL [krom our own correspondent] SYDNEY. Sept. 13 As a result of the loss of the New Zealand market, following the embargo placed on Australian fruit by the Dominion Government, the citrus trade in Australia is still in a bad way. When the transtasman trade was lost the Australian producer,* with the backing of the Commonwealth Government, sought new markets in order to be rid of its surplus fruit, but the campaign in this direction has been far from encouraging.

In New South Wales and in Victoria there has been a glut of oranges, and mandarins have been almost unsaleable. People will not buy mandarins when they can secure luscious oranges at a price which is within the reach of almost everybody. So serious has been the plight of the mandarin growers in the Now South Wales districts that the Federal Government has made a special grant of £15,000 to see them over the season. At scores of orchards the fruit has been allowed to rot on the ground, for it would not pay to take it to Sydney.

Negotiations with New Zealand

Interested parties find it difficult to understand why tho negotiations with New Zealand for a reopening of the citrus fruit trade arc so protracted. In most quarters it was believed that tho difficulties encountered had. become insuperable, but thero was a feeling of relief on Saturday last when the Prime Minister expressed a hope that a way out might yet be found. Ho made it clear that negotiations were still being continued, and ho expressed a hope that the embargo would be lifted at least from all those areas in Australia where the presence of fruit disease was not regarded as a real menace. Meanwhile reports have apjieared in the Sydney press indicating that very high prices were paid in New Zealand for oranges that were sent to the Dominion from Australia —a restricted shipment. If the New Zealand market were available only for tho remainder of the season—a season rapidly ap-

proaching its end —the advantage to tho Australian grower would be enormous.

Cheap Oranges

The Railway Department in New Scuth Wales has come to the assistance of citrus growers in the Murrumbidgee irrigation area, where some of the finest oranges in the world are produced. These are great luscious navel oranges, of delicious flavour, and as sweet as sugar. At all railway stations these oranges nre available at the specially reduced price of 15 for Is. In former years they have been sold at the standardised price of Is a doeen, but as it will be necessary soon to strip the trees, the price has been reduced so as to effect a moro speedy clearance. In order to still further encourage the consumption of oranges the Railway Department delivers a case to any address in the State for 6s 6d, the case containing about six dozen. Ihe department has in these ways disposed of thousands of cases of oranges. Doctors have assisted in the campaign by declaring that oranges are more beneficial than apples, and everybody knows the old adage of the apple and the doctor. Australia would willingly share its orange health with New Zealand.