NORTH ISLAND NOT REPRESENTED ON NEW FRUIT BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26959, 20 December 1948, Page 4

NORTH ISLAND NOT REPRESENTED ON NEW FRUIT BOARD

PA HASTINGS. Dec. 19. Keen disappointment that the North Island and Hawke’s Bay in particular lias no representative on the Apple and Pear Marketing Board as announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Cullen, was expressed by Mr J. Howard Paynter, president of the Hawke's Bay Fruitgrowers’ Association in an inteiview to-day. On the other hand, he approved the appointment of Mr H. Turner as chairman. , “I think most growers in Hawke’s Bay will be disappointed to learn that Hawke's Bay has no direct representation on the new board," Mr Paynter said. “ Keen disappointment will be felt over the fact that the North Island as a whole has been left without representation. It seems strange that Hawke's Bay, representing as it does 35-40 per cent, of the pip fruit production of the Dominion is not thought fit to have repres'entation, whereas Otago, where only 10 per* cent, of pip fruit is produced, has two—the chairman and one other."

Mr Paynter added that the appointments now made indicated clearly that the right of the Government to select grower representatives from a panel is not in the best interests of the industry as a whole. Instead, representation should have been selected by direct nomination as was suggested by the federation directors, but rejected by the Government.

Now tljat the personnel of the board has been announced by the Minister, however, it was hoped, even though time was short, that it would quickly settle down to work harmoniously as a team for the general good of the scheme and the industry.