APPLES AND PEARS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26232, 16 August 1946, Page 11

APPLES AND PEARS

METHOD OF DISTRIBUTION (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 14. “ General disappointment was expressed by members of the New Zealand Fruit and Produce Merchants’ and Auctioneers’ Federation from every part of the Dominion at the manner in which apples and pears have this year been distributed by the Internal Marketing Division,” states the report on a meeting of the Executive Committee of the federation held in Wellington to-day. The report states that certain varieties of apples were not made available io the public from the trees, but were evidently stored under adverse conditions, with the result that they reached the market in a state which often called for repacking. During the flush period in late April and May, thousands of cases of„ fruit reached the markets in over-mature condition, showing evidence of having been held in bulk stacks instead of being kept in the orchard or cool store.

“Because of this,” states the report, “the public has not had the benefit during the flush period of fruit as fresh as it is entitled to expect, nor have the cool stores been used to full capacity. Thus the season during which apples should be available to the public has been much curtailed. The report adds that while the distribution of apples has been bad enough, that of pears has been deplorable.