TRANSPORT OF FRUIT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19202, 19 June 1924, Page 7

TRANSPORT OF FRUIT

PRE-COOLING ADVOCATED. DISCUSSION AT FREEZING CONGRESS. Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, June 17. (Received June 18, at 6.5 p.m.) Fifty papers dealing with all phases of refrigeration were read by experts from the leading nations at the meetings of the various sections of the Refrigeration Congress In a paper prepared by Mr William French', refrigerating engineer, of Melbourne, and read before the refrigerated transport section, it was stated that in Australia considerable opposition had been expressed against the pre-cooling of fruit, much of which still had to be overcome before a. satisfactory export trade could be achieved. The antagonism came chiefly from the growers and agents, who, because of the trifling expense, had a prejudice against the system, which was calculated to ensure uniformity oi quality and good market prices. Although the Victorian Royal Commission in 1915 had reported favourably on pre-cooling the shortsighted view oi' the opponents of that system had prevailed, and it was now necessary to convince them that their attitude was against their own interests. Pre-cooling was the only effective preventive against shipments of fruit being destroyed owing lu npeness and deterioration into rottenness. irroper pre-cooling would enormously enhance the export of citrus Iruits, which were needed in Britain and Europe. Experience had proved that the pre-cooling of apples was not a waste of time and money, and the system should be obligatory. jf the temperature of fruit was not quickly and permanently brought to a certain Degree the chance of successful transportation was small. The Victorian Institute of Kef rigeratiou in 1922 iiad urged the Government to establish a refrigeration research station. It was urged that the iiioustry was groping along lor want of scieutilic data, owing to the political crisis and changes of Government the realisation of tne refrigerators’ hopes had made siow progress. Mr Hawkin, of the United States Department of Agriculture, said that experiments during the last three years had proved that the Californian grapes arriving in New York were little; different from those that were pre-cooied. it had been payable to pre-cool Californian cherries and strawberries, which, as a result, lasted 24 hours longer. The meeting passed a resolution Highly recommending pre-cooling, but expressing the opinion that it should not be macie compulsory.—A. and JN.Z. Cable.