FRUIT INDUSTRY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19196, 12 June 1924, Page 11

FRUIT INDUSTRY.

“ FUTURE DISTINCTLY BRIGHT.” BETTER EXPORT MARKET. MINISTER’S HOPEFUL REVIEW. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, June 11. ‘‘The future is distinctly bright,” said the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. IN os worthy), in reviewing (he fruit industry outlook at the opening of the Fruitgrowers’ Conference to-day. Tho past season’s crop of both pip and stone fruit was satisfactory both in quantity and quality, said the .Minister. A considerable improvement was shown in the prices received on the local markets. The export returns to hand from Great Britain also indicated that this market would be considerably better than that of last season. The improvement in the local market trade was no doubt tine largely to the better class of fruit which was being marketed, fruitgrowers realising that the lower grades of fruit Were not a remunerative proposition from a marketing point of view. The establishment of a control board system in tho Nelson district, under the able guidance of Colonel Gray and Mr James Allan, had been the means of keeping low-grade fruit off the market and of regulating the supply and distribution in quantities more in equality with the demand, and at the same time must have improved conditions generally for the fruitgrowers of other districts in addition to those of Nelson. A considerable development had taken place In tho export: marketing of fruit. During the season just closed 241,253 cases wore exported—an increase of approximately 100,000 cases on the previous season’s export. Great Britain look 202,028 cases and South America 39.225 cases. The establishment: of an Jiecport Advisory Committee of Fruitgrowers enabled the department to have tho benefit of its experience on various matters connected with tho export trade. To encourage direct sales the New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation was given the sole right of export to South America, where ft sole had boon made, and it was somewhat disappointing to learn that some of the fruit shipped to this order had arrived in bad condition, necessitating a reduction in the price originally offered. The services of an officer of the department had been made available to the fruitgrowers as their representative in connection with this sale. The information with respect to (he trade which he would gain should he of inestimable valfte to exporters. No serious spread of fireblight disease had taken place during the past season. The control measures taken by the department within the prescribed fruit areas affected by tho disease resulted in reducing the infection to a minimum in those localities, and there was every prospect of tho disease being kept in check there with constant vigilance and attention on tho part of fruitgrowers in co-operating with tho department’s officers. In’the non-commer-cial areas where the disease was in existence the position remained about tho same as that of last season, the infection mainly being confined to hawthorn hedges and such susceptible fruit trees that had not been previously killed through the attacks of the disease. The infection, however, had not spread any further afield during the past season than those districts in which it was previously located. Extensive investigations were being carried out, adder! the Minister, with regard to some of the cold storage problems of the fruit industry by the Biological and Horticultural Divisions in conjunction, and it was expected that much good would result from a number of experiments in hand rluring tho recent season. The total area of commercial orchards dill remained at about 30,000 acres as represented by the 6673 orchards registered. During the past year tho amount of orchard tax collected was £1953. which had been paid over to tho federation less the cost of collection. At the request of fruitgrowers a Bill designed for the purpose of controlling the fruit industry of New Zealand, and known as the Fruit Control Bill, had been prepared, and was now under consideration by Ministers. This Bill provided for the control of export fruit and local fruit respectively, the adoption of tho provisions relating to local truit being optional as regards each provincial district in the dominion. The Minister explained that the Bill was not hold over through any opposition by the Government. It wa s introduced during the dying hours of last session, and as it stood then he was not prepared to “father” it. Since then a good deal of work had been done on it by the officers of the department and the" law draftsmen. He desired also to acknowledge the great .assistance of Colonel Gray and Mr Allan with the Bill.