LONDON FRUIT SUPPLY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18896, 23 June 1923, Page 7

LONDON FRUIT SUPPLY

CONDITIONS OF MARKETING. _______ « NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT. Press Association—By Telegraph.—Copyright LONDON, June 22, (Received June 22, at 10.10 p.m. ) Striking evidence of the influence of the middlemen upon the price of British fruit was disclosed in the report of a Departmental Committee upon fruit and vegetables. The report states that there were often, six intermediaries between the grower and the consumer. First, there was the London commission salesman, then, the London wholesale dealer, the London commissioner buyer, the provincial wholesaler, the second provincial wholesaler, and the provincial retailer. This, says the report, may involve 16 to 20 different handlings of produce. Much of the fruit and vegetables which is now sent to Covent Garden would bo better consigned to the .provincial markets direct. It ‘ was essential i that the railway rates should be greatly 1 reduced. Other recommendations are—the quicker handling of soft fruit on the railways, tihe use of tire cash-on-delivery system, the licensing of commission salesmen. The report adds: “Covent Garden is wholly inadequate to deal effectively with the volume of produce handled. A searching investigation is necessary into the magnitude and incidence of the existing market charges which are the subject of general complaint. Their legality is also questioned. On the whole the retailers do not appear to make excessive profits. The problem of disposing of the surplus fruit is largely dependent on the prosperity of the jam industry. The canning of fruit provides another outlet, and more progressive methods in this direction are required on the part of the British manufacturers.—A. and N.Z. Cable.