NEW ZEALAND FRUIT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22329, 1 August 1934, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND FRUIT

SUCCESS OF STANDARD PEAR CASE (From Oob Own Correspondent.) LONDON, June 14, Prices for New Zealand apples are at present depressed owing to the unusual glut of supplies. Cables from Australia indicate that the season’s crop will be definitely down on last year, but up to the present time there has been no reduction of the quantity arriving. There are also prospects of enormously increased crops of English cherries and plums, and Italy is promising to send still greater quantities of peaches. At the present time, therefore, there seems no prospect of better prices for apples before the beginning of next month. One pleasing feature of the trade is that New Zealand apples have been arriving in splendid condition, and there is no recurrence of the breakdown which was so prevalent last year. PEARS. On the subject of pears, Mr H. Turner (London manager of the Fruit Board) states that the step which was taken to adopt the standard pear case as compulsory for export has beeu entirely successful. This case is three-quarters the size of the standard bushel apple case. ,1 Owing to some extent to better condition, in conjunction with the fact that supplies from some other quarters are not quite so good as usual, the peargrower in New Zealand will this year obtain more per standard case than he got per large case last year. No complaints whatever have been received from the trade i - egarding the standard cases. South Africa has definitely adopted the smaller case. It would help things considerably if Australia would do the same, but unfortunately the States are working _ under different regulations, and a variety of packings are coming from the Commonwealth. The price of the more popular pears, such as Winter Nelis and Winter Coles, has been as high as 16s per standard case, while for less popular varieties 9s and 10s has been paid. FRUITGROWERS’ CONFERENCE. Speaking, of the Fruitgrowers’ Conference, which he and Mr J. A. Campbell have been attending this week, Mr Turner said it was a round-table conference of representatives of Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, and English fruitgrowers. The idea was to see if it were possible to arrange for a more orderly and spread programme, to improve the standard, and to reduce_ the quantity of lower grades from coming to Great Britain. In addition, the question of increasing quantities of foreign fruit coming on to the market at various times was discussed. “ There was a most cordial feeling, added Mi Turner, “ between the English representatives and the Dominion representatives. Hitherto, the Home growers have rather resented the increasing supplies of Dominion fruit coming into this country, but as a result of the conference it is likely that there will be a great deal more co-operation between the English fruitgrowers and the Dominion growers than there has ever been before. Further discussion will take place, and it is hoped that something will be done towards standardising grades and helping distribution.”