WASTAGE OF FRUIT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22851, 5 October 1937, Page 12

WASTAGE OF FRUIT

COOK ISLANDS CROPS INADEQUATE STEAMER LINK IMPROVED PLANTATIONS [FROM OCR OWN correspondent] RAROTOXGA, Sept. 17 The first season of Government control of the export of oranges has worked smoothly, and native planters are particularly pleased with the arrangement under which they are paid an advance of 2s 6d a case in their own villages as soon as the fruit is shipped. This enables the department to adhere to its decision to make payment only to the grower and not to an agent. The only obstacle to a bright future for the island planter appears to be lack of steamer service in order to supply thp New Zealand market with all the oranges, bananas and tomatoes that it can take. The Cook Islands require a regular fortnightly service from May until the end of October by steamers like the motor-vessel Matua, properly equipped to carry fruit. High Proportion of Loss

Rarotonga this year lost 70 per cent of its orange crop, and 50 per cent of the tomato crop through lack of steamer service. At present the islands of Atiu and Matike could supply 10,000 cases each of oranges, and one or other of them will not have a steamer call at all, while the island that does receive a call will only be granted space to ship about 6000 cases, and that on an ordinary cargo steamer, with the chances that a large percentage of the fruit after a trip on the deck of a slow steamer to New Zealand will be unfit for sale.

When the Matua calls to-morrow to take bananas from Rarotonga to New Zealand she will not be able to take any of the thousands of cases of tomatoes going to waste, or of the oranges in the islands of Aitutaki, Atiu and Mauke. These must await shipment, if at all, by cargo steamer later. Overhaul of Plantations The full co-operation of the native planters has been obtained by the new resident commissioner, Mr. S. J. Smith, in his plan to give the orange and banana plantations a thorough overhaul. Through lack of adequate returns and poor steamer service the natives had largely ceased to take an interest in their trees, and the exports had fallen to less than half.

As a result of meetings with the planters and with the assistance of the Director of Agriculture, Mr. W. T. Goodwin, and Mr. B. Baker, a citrus expert from Jamaica, the natives were formed into groups; trees that had become diseased were cut down; thousands of trees were pruned, scraped and sprayed where necessary; and manure was distributed. Now. for the first time for many years the Rarotonga plantations show care and attention such as should result in large supplies of good fruit reaching tiie New Zealand markets.

In various districts land has been secured for nurseries, and thousands of seedlings are being grown for future budding and distribution. Banana planting 011 an extensive scale is to be undertaken.

SYSTEM OF CONTROL PROSPECTS FOR FUTURE Hopeful prospects for the Government fruit control system in Rarotonga were mentioned by Mr. D. G. Ball, of Wellington, a member of the staff of the Education Department, who returned yesterday by the Matua after spending two months in the Cook Islands inspecting schools. The past year, he said, had been satisfactory for those in the industry. The need for better shipping conditions was emphasised by Mr. Ball. He said the islands constituted a rich orchard which should be fully developed, and it did not seem right that excellent fruit could be had in the islands merely for the picking, when the same articles were 3d each in New Zealand.

Mr. Ball mentioned that under the guidance of the Resident Commissioner, Mr. S. J. Smith, the Agricultural Department had been improved. A trained fruit expert from Jamaica was now available