FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21829, 16 December 1932, Page 10

FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

IMPORTATIONS FROM AUSTRALIA AN EMBARGO ANNOUNCED (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, December 15. From to-morrow there will be au embargo on tlie importation into New Zealand of Australian fruit and vegetables according to an announcement made this evening by the Minister of Customs (Mr Downie Stewart). The embargo will not apply to fruit and vegetables exported from Australia on or before tomorrow. The Minister stated that if the Australian Government could see its way clear to remove the embargo on New Zealand fruit and fruit plants the New Zealand Government would be glad to consider the removal of the embargo now imposed on Australian products. For some considerable time past, said Mr Stewart, correspondence had taken place between the Australian and New Zealand Governments with respect to the embargo on our fruit and fruit plants which had for many years been maintained in the Commonwealth on the ground that New Zealand fruit was affected by fireblight. It was pointed out to the Australian Government that, in the opinion of experts here, fireblight was spread by means of trees and plants, and that the danger of introducing the disease into a country by means of fruit was extremely remote. As regards its appearance in New Zealand there was no reason to believe that it was introduced through the medium of fruit, but that on the contrary all the available evidence pointed to the probability of illegally introduced plants being responsible. * The Australian Government was acting, no doubt, in what it considered to be the best interests of its fruit industry. It could not see its way to adopt the views of the New Zealand Government, and was unable to remove the embargo. “ I have no desire to question the good faith or the motives of the Australian Government in the matter,” said the Minister. The effect, however, is that the New Zealand fruitgrower is definitely excluded from the Australian market. This, however, is not the whole position. New Zealand fruitgrowers have endeavoured to develop a market in the United States, with which country it is believed there is a possibility of considerable trade. The United States, however, maintains their embargo on New Zealand fruit, not because of the existence of fireblight in New Zealand, but because Anstalian fruit is affected by the Mediterranean fruit fly, and New Zealand allows the importation of Australian fruit. The result of the Commonwealth emfbargo, therefore, is that New Zealand is losing two markets —the Australian market because of the existence of fireblight here, and the United States market because this country allows the importation of Australian fruit. This is a very serious position from the point of view of New Zealand, especially during the present economic and financial crisis when the necessity for obtaining every available market for our products is paramount. The Government has, therefore, reluctantly decided that there is no option but to impose an embargo on Australian fruit and vegetables. An Order-in-Couneil to give effect to this decision appears in this week’s Gazette. It is proposed that the embargo should take effect forthwith, but that it should not apply to fruit and vegetables exported from Australia on or before December 16. It must be understood that this embargo has not been imposed to protect local fruitgrowers from Australian competition. It is not part of the policy of the Government that protection to any industry—primary or secondaryshould be granted by means of embargoes, complete or partial. It is considered that such matters should he dealt with by means of a tariff, affording au opportunity for reasonable competition. If the Australian Government can see its way at any time to remove the embargo on New Zealand fruit and fruit plants the Government of this Dominion will be glad to consider the removal of the embargo now imposed on Australian products.”