CITRUS GROWERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23882, 9 August 1939, Page 4

CITRUS GROWERS

HEAVY LOSS AT TAURANGA ?■', , SEVERE FROSTS DAMAGE FRUIT (Special rp Daily TiiWfES)' '■■'■:■ AUCKLAND, Aug. 8; Losses amounting to some thousands of pounds are faced by Tauranga citrus growers as a result of a succession of unusually severe frosts, < Wilting trees and.damaged fruit are a,common spectacle among the groves in the Gate Pa dis'rict. where the losses" range from 60 to 100 per. cent.,, while over the? whole Bay of Plenty area ,it is'■•■'eitij. mated that the output :Will;;be reduced' by 20 per cent. " ' Ar Following hard on, the heels of a difficult season ip- which contended with- a glutted lemon apfket. thp; frost damage could ■scarcely have occurred at a more inopportune time. . Frost- succeeded 'frost""for a period of about'ai.fortpight.flie 'worst effects occurring OP July- 27, when the . recording was 11 degrees,,.-Little could be done by growers to'check the inevitable losses.;: v -a ?>.*■. .-•, £aa'; : Ai : v Authorities stated that it was;now apparent .that the leaves.on.the citrus trees in the Gate Pa.district were wilting. Much pf the fruit was brown, and a large proportion of apparently healthy fruit had proved to be drv when cut. •■■■•' ■■■■:;.'■'f ■ -■ -'•■•^•'■' There are scfmeS cases Where the losses are estimated at a fyll 100 per cent., while other surveys* write off about 60 per cent of the expected crops as being unmarketable. ( ..It '■'■ is -< considered that ,20,.per eient. 'of: the: iftuit normally. supplied '-$ ! tiie'. Taurapga depot will be completely''.lost',during the next -six months'. .•;' : " > ,\ l ■".'' '.-<■ I ■■■ • «Jt ?<• ' No estimate •of tbe financial :lpss, to growers has bjeeriicompiled,-but'oh a conservative basis, it is thought, likely that it will amount' at' least to several thousand pounds: Some indication; -of£ the damage is provided" by the'.'experience of a leading grower whose-output is stated to be: reduced, by 3000 boxes ° f .lemons which .are valued'at/abput £6OO. ;, \f i. ,-.;■ ''■.'~<.;x-'j ~'■. .'■: ■-/.';:''../..,-