FRUIT INDUSTRY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23828, 7 June 1939, Page 7

FRUIT INDUSTRY

ORGANISED MARKETING COMMITTEE APPOINTED WIDE SCOPE OF INQUIRY (Pea United Press Association; WELLINGTON, June 6. The Minister of Agriculture and Acting-Minister' of -Marketing (Mr W.- Lee Martin) announced to-day that the Government had set up a committee to consider all questions relating to the fruit industry 1 oh the marketing side! This was in . response to a' request from the industry to the .Government for centralised marketing arid stabilisea prices' Mr Lee Martin said the committee would examine every aspect of fruit marketing from the orchard to the consumer both in New Zealand and overseas This was necessary to ensure that if the Government provided . the facilities asked for they would be effective in giving the producer a reasonable standard of living and ensuring that the consumer was served as efficiently as possible. This would entail a thorough examination of the functions performed by all the intermediaries between the producer and the consumer. The Minister said that .he committee would take evidence mainly in Wellington :nd possibly in other parts of the country and would call evidence from recognised fruitgrowers' associations as well as Trom individual persons with an, expert knowledge of different aspects of the marketing of fruit: The personnel of the committee is as follows: Chairman, Mr Lee Martin. Deputy-chairman, Mr F. R. Picot. Director of Internal Marketing.

Mr T. C. Brash, president of the Fruitgrowers' Federation. Mr W. M. Benzies, secretary of the Fruit Export Control Board. Mr E. J. Fawcett, assistant Director of Agriculture. , Mr C J. Skinner, M.P. Dr W. B. Sutch, economist, Mr J E. Thomas, fruit officer of the Internal Marketing Division.