FRUIT SHORTAGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22619, 6 January 1937, Page 11

FRUIT SHORTAGE

CROPS IN DOMINION THE HAWKE'S BAY FROST EFFECT UPON EXPORT TRADE ])ue mainly to a destructive frost in Hnwke's Ba.v about two months ago, the New Zealand fruit crop for the current, season will be the smallest for many years past. The drop in production has been estimated by competent authorities at approximately .''oo.ooo cases. There will lie a corresponding reduction in the quantity available for export, and the indications are that the season's shipments overseas "ill be in the vicinity of 1,000,000 cases, New Zealand therefore faces the smallest export season since 1928. "The prospects for the fruit season are .not as good as usual," said the secretary of the New Zealand Fruit Export Control Hoard, .Mr. \Y. Bcnzies, when discussing the situation. "The recent frost in Hawke's May was a severe knock to this season's fruit production. The fruit export from Hawke's May will not be much over 20,000 cases at the. outside as against a usual 200,000 cases. The Nelson crop is light to patchy, and it is estimated that district will have from (500.000 to 700.000 cases for export. The Nelson district usually exports from 800,(MX) to J. 000.000 cases. Other South Island Districts "Marlborough is about the only district from where fruit will be exported in usual quantities. The normal .Marlborough export is round about 60,000 cases. Canterbury has a normal crop, but the indications are that it will be retained for the local market. Probably not more than 20,000 cases will be available for export, although Canterbury could export up to .100,000 cases if it did not concentrate on the local market. Otago has suffered some loss front frost in stone fruits. The Otago export is estimated at 110,000 cases. That represents a fair crop for Otago. That district's biggest year was an export of 164.000 cases.

Deficiency Over-estimated "Poverty May is not likely to export much, but to return nearly everything for the local market as a result of the Hawke's Bay shortage. It is hard to say what the Auckland district will export, but it will probably bo anything from 40,000 to 80.000 cases. The quantity exported will be determined by what is kept back for the local market. The normal export crop from the Auckland district ranges from 100.000 to 120.000 cases." Mr. Ben/.tes said that generally speaking there was a tendency for growers to over-estimate the shortage that would arise on the local market due to the Hawke's Bay frost. Competent authorities had estimated the actual Dominion shortage at .'500,000 cases, and to offset that it was estimated that more than this quantity of export fruit would be retained to supply the local market, ft was going to be a small export season, round about the 1.000.000-case mark.