GRADING OF FRUIT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23516, 2 June 1938, Page 12

GRADING OF FRUIT

THE COMPULSORY SYSTEM COMMENT ON ITS OPERATION GENERALLY SATISFACTORY TO INDUSTRY The opinion that the compulsory grading of fruit during the past season had worked satisfactorily and had been generally acceptable to growers was expressed to a Daily Times reporter yesterday by Mr G. H. Mclndoe, of the horticultural division of the Department of Agriculture. The scheme had its critics, he said, but on the whole it was approved by the industry. , The scheme, Mr Mclndoe said, was the result of repeated representations on the part of growers to the Government over a period of several years. It was claimed by growers that alleged irregularities and corrupt practices in marketing were redounding to the discredit of the industry and resulting in inequalities in the growing end of the business. One of the first attempts to deal with the problem had been the institution of a system of voluntary grading, but that had broken down because there had always been a small proportion of the trade who could be relied upon not to lose the many opportunities of cut-throat pricing that existed. Standardisation. therefore, could not succeed. The present system was part and parcel of the Government’s policy uf increasing production. It was feared that if a flat rate for all fruit sold were established it would result in a lowering of the quality of fruit. Growers would economise by producing low-grade and unsaleable fruit, so that it would be unfair to pay a flat rate whether the fruit were good or bad. Standardisation had been put into operation and had resulted in a proper system of observation and inspection, which in t its turn had caused the elimination of all low grade fruit from participation in the Government subsidy. Speaking generally, said Mr Mclndoe, the scheme had worked very well to date. Naturally there had been some misunderstanding of the kind that was inseparable from all innovations, but, on the whole,, growers were accepting it in the spirit in which it was intended. That was important, because no system could expect to be successful without the co-operation of the growers. One of the subjects of criticism had been the use of the stamps attached to fruitcases. These were supposed to cover the expenses of the scheme, and the principle they represented had its beginning with the pronouncement of a commission set up by a previous Govemment which held J*ny expenses incurred by an mdustry on behalf of such industry should be met by the producers concerned. He had to admit that some difficulty had occurred in connection with the cancellation of these stamps. The onus of cancellation rested entirely with the person opening or emptying the case, and as numerous complaints of failure to cancel had been received it was probable that the penal clauses of the Act would have to be invoked. “ Taken all in all, the scheme is, however, generally regarded as a step in the right direction, _ Mr Mclndoe added, “and while it is possible that there may be difficulties resident in existing legislation, it must be remembered that the whole idea is more or less experimental. It is anticipated that with greater experience of the effects and scope of the Act, it will be possible to introduce amendments which will tend towards a more effective operation of the scheme.