SUPPLIES OF FRUIT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25302, 12 August 1943, Page 6

SUPPLIES OF FRUIT

STRICTER CONTROL INDICATED (P a ) WELLINGTON, Aug. 11. Stricter control of the supplies of fruit to the civilian market was indicated today by the Minister of Marketing, Mr J. G. Barclay, addressing the conference of the Fruitgrowers’ Federation. He said the abnormal demands created by the development of the war in the Pacific has made it appear likely that there would -barely be sufficient apples and pears to maintain the present high level of consumption on the civilian market and at the same time fully meet the requirement of the armed forces in the Pacific area. Tale Government was anxious to maintain the supply to the civilian market at the general level to which the people had become accustomed over the past four years, and In order to fulfil this it might be necessary for the Government to ensure that all the apples and pears produced and suitable for packing and transportation to the market were at the disposal of the internal marketing division, so that they could be made available in their correct proportion in terms of the priorities that would undoubtedly be eswith the future of the industry, Mr Barclay said the Government was irrevocably committed to its plan of economic stabilisation and regarded its successful implementation as a matter of paramount importance. The industry had been stabilised on a basis which was con- . sidered to be an equitable one m relation to the other sections of the community. In future, therefore, any question relating to prices and costs was a matter for tne atabilisatlon organisation.