OTAGO FRUIT EXPORT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23649, 5 November 1938, Page 19

OTAGO FRUIT EXPORT

PARTIAL DIVERSION TO BLUFF POSSIBILITY DISCUSSED COOL STORAGE FACILITIES (Special to Daily Times) INVERCARGILL. Nov. 4. It is possible that Bluff's overseas trade may be considerably increased in the future by the export of fruit from Central Otago. At a meeting of directors of Southland Cool Stores, Ltd., to-day it was stated that fruitgrowers in Otago were considering the advisability of shipping their fruit overseas direct from Bluff, if suitable cool storage accommodation were provided. The growers have asked the Southland Cool Stores to consider handling a big proportion of the fruit that they export from New Zealand. The opinion was expressed at the meeting that more machinery could be installed, and that more accommodation could be provided, subject to some assurance that fruit from Central Otago was shipped from Bluff in the future. A letter was received from the New Zealand Fruit Export Control Board stating that it was awaiting an announcement by the Government about its policy on the question of fruit cool storage. The letter mentioned that a special committee was investigating the amount of space available and whether extra space could be obtained. Until that committee had made its report to the Government and to the board, no action could be taken by the board. " We are not going to let any chance like this go past us, stated the chairman (Mr John Dunlop). PRE-COOLING OF FRUIT

MATTER OF ACCOMMODATION COMMENT BY MR F. G. DUNCAN "So far as the position here is concerned, the Otago Fruit Control Board will have to consider the position of pre-cooling its fruit prior to shipment," stated Mr F. G, Duncan, representative for Otago and Canterbury on the New Zealand Fruit Control Board, when asked to comment on the above message last night. "If Bluff will supply Otago with accommodation, then we will have no option but to ship our fruit through the southern port." "It seems unfortunate," he said, "that the Otago fruitgrowers have no facilities for pre-cooling their fruu here, whereas they are obtainable at Bluff. The necessary facilities should be in close proximity to the ships so that extra charges are not thrust upon the grower in having his fruit loaded. Mr Duncan said that it was hard to get the people to realise the position. Before anything final was done in the matter, however, the position would be fully investigated by the New Zealand Control Board.