FRUIT MARKETING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23491, 31 October 1939, Page 9

FRUIT MARKETING

MINISTER'S PROPOSALS REJECTION IN CANTERBURY STATE CONTROL OPPOSED EXPORT PRICE TOO LOW [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION*] CHRISTCHURCH. Monday Rejection of the proposal of the Minister of Marketing, the lion. W. Nash, for the control of pip fruit in the coining season was unanimously approved hv more than <0 Canterbury fruitgrowers in the city to-day. Ihe meeting discussed the future of pip fruit growing and the Government's policy toward it for about two and a-half hours.

Finally the following resolution was carried unanimously"That this meeting rejects the Minister's proposals and asks that the Government purchase and export from 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 cases of fruit at a price based on a sliding scale with a minimum price of 7s 6d a case to the grower at the assembly point (or its equivalent f.0.b.), nnd that the local market he left free.'' The meeting had before it advice of Mr. Nash's proposal that the Government should buy 1,000,000 cases oi fruit at 6s 9d, f.0.b., with the right to sell in the Dominion any quantity it could not export, and that marketing in New Zealand should be controlled by a hoard, on which would be two representatives of the Fruitgrowers' Federation. The main .points of criticism of Mr. Nash's plan were that the price was too low for Canterbury (which probably would do little exporting), that the grower had to carry risks of deterioration until the fruit was safely in an overseas vessel, and that, as a Canterbury meeting had previously decided, there was a strong opinion that there should be no State control of the local marketing of apples.

EXPORT PLAN REJECTED NELSON WANTS STATE CONTROL [BY . TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION*] NELSON, Monday A request by the New Zealand .Fruitgrowers' Federation and the New Zealand Fruit Export Control Board for the Government to take over the marketing of the fruit production of the Dominion was unanimously supported by a meeting of 170 Nelson fruitgrowers. An offer by the Minister of Marketing. the Hon. W. Nash, to purchase 1,000,000 cases of export fruit at 6s 9d per case f.0.b., that money to be pooled with the returns from local sales, was thus unanimously rejected by the meeting.

LIMIT ON SHIPPING SPACE INDICATION BY MINISTER [BY TELEGRAPH OWN CORRESPONDENT] WELLINGTON, Monday An indication that on present evidence it was very doubtful if it would be possible to find shipping space in the coming season for anything like the quantities of fruit normally sent overseas was given by the Minister of Marketing, the Hon. W. Nash, in a statement to-night. Mr. Nash said that he hoped to be able to say something more on the matter after a conference with the Fruitgrowers' Federation and the Fruit Board. It was hoped to be able to come to an arrangement which would bo reasonable and satisfactory to all concerned.