TRANSPORT BY ROAD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27580, 23 December 1950, Page 8

TRANSPORT BY ROAD

Stone Fruit From Central

Otago

To’ meet the discontinuance of rail transport, arrangements have been made to handle and dispose of the ripening stone fruit crops from the Central Otago district. Normally from this area during the fruit season the railway is busy bringing fruit trains down to the coast and then sending the trucks to their various points of destination.

Much of the fruit ultimately found its way to North Island cities, but if rail transport is not available, little stone fruit will find its way across Cook Strait.

Complete arrangements, however, have been made to bring the fruit down from Alexandra, Roxburgh and other fruit centres. It will come by truck and will be available on the market for the Usual auctions next Wednesday morning. So far as the disruption of the transport services is concerned, the only difference will be in one of price—a lower price for the fruit to the grower and to the consumer in Otago, with the latter getting a more abundant supply. , ' A certain amount of the fruit will find its way to Christchurch. Merchants in that city have already arranged for road transport to bring tomatoes to the Dunedin- market and these vehicles will take fruit back with them. Whether any reaches Wellington will depend on the firms in that city. It could be delivered direct by plane and this course may be adopted. Oamaru and Waimate growers of raspberries, strawberries, cherries and garden truck have already made arrangements to bring their produce to Dunedin markets and ample supplies have also been arranged for the road transport of produce to Invercargill.