FRUIT EXPORT TRADE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22053, 8 September 1933, Page 10

FRUIT EXPORT TRADE

SEARCH FOR NEW MARKETS EFFORTS OF CONTROL BOARD (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, September 7. That there is a probability of now markets being arranged for New Zealand fruit as the result of negotiations which are at present being carried out was apparent from statements made today by the chairman of the Fruit Control Board (Mr H. E. Stephens) in the course of a' critical survey of the Dominion's fruit export industry at the conference of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers' Federation. With restrictions being applied by so many countries it was necessary for the industry in New Zealand to east about carefully for new fields, said Mr Stephens. There were one or two definite avenues that the board was exploring. In the Far East it had been found that at the present time there was no opening for produce. The main considerations in this connection were the problem of direct shipping, the fact that only a small quantity of produce was wanted, and that the markets were already well catered for by Australia and the United States. Another potential market was Belgium. Up to the present that country had applied a prohibitive tariff on wrapped apples, but while abroad the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr R. Masters) had been trying to arrange a revision of the treaty with Belgium, and much was hoped for from his efforts. There were also prospects, continued Mr Stephens, of opening up trade with the United States. The market there for apples was flooded at the present time, but it was not altogether impossible that an outlet might be found there for New Zealand large Delicious. It was most probable, however, that there would be a definite opening for pears, especially in the north of the United States, where the demand for them was fairly strong. It appeared that the British Government was still pressing for quotas on certain importations, and fruit was included among the articles. The board's representative had recently been in touch with the Britieh Government, and it was hoped that the quotas would not he harmful to the New Zealand trade, and there was even a possibility that they would be quite helpful.