RECORD FIGURES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26848, 12 August 1948, Page 6

RECORD FIGURES

FRUIT MARKETING REPORT OF COUNCIL ASSEMBLY FACILITIES INADEQUATE Special Correspondent WELLINGTON, Aug. 11. The crop of apples and pears handled by the Marketing Department this year was estimated at 2.915,000 cases, of which 2,859,000 had been received from growers to the end of July, said the report of the Fruit Marketing Council to the annual conference of the Fruitgrowers’ Federation. This was a record since the start of the organised marketing scheme in 1940. said the report, the total being 260,000 cases more than the previous record established in 1941. A total of 1,021,045 cases had been exDorted during the season, leaving 1,894.000 cases for the domestic market, of which 1,591,000 were apples and 303,000 pears. The* council said that it was strongly of the opinion that a representative of the industry should be sent to the United Kingdom to report on the arrival of fruit shipments and to investigate market trends and requirements owing to changed conditions since the cessation of full-scale fruit export in 1939. It was now being arranged for Mr J W. Watson, of the London office of the Marketing Department, to come out to New Zealand and report on the season’s operations and have local discussions. It. was hoped that Mr Watson would visit New Zealand within the next few months. The council said that marketing continued to be severely handicapped by lack of suitable assembly facilities particularly at Blenheim and Dunedin Most of the Nelson fruit for southern markets was consigned through Blenheim, and lack of storage and sorting space did not permit railway wagons to be loaded and despatched in a methodical ' manner. Consequently there was inconvenience and delay at the point of discharge. A quick turnround of rolling stock was essential and if this; was to be achieved, improved assembly facilities were 1 an urgent necessity. . ■ . . A new assembly shed had been created at Alexandra, and this had improved the facilities available there The shed was constructed by the Dunedin staff of the Marketing Department, to whom the council, extended its congratulations on their initiative The report said that the shortage of packaging materials created a difficulty throughout the past season. Supplies of wiring for export cases and a shortage of cases themselves were problems. Altogether 150 growers, of whom 33 were in Otago, had received assistance from the Uneconomic Orchard Fund A total of £55,590 had been spenl since 1944 to assist uneconomic orchards and to compensate growers for climatic losses.