ISLAND FRUIT TRADE

Otago Witness, Issue 3525, 4 October 1921, Page 22

ISLAND FRUIT TRADE

STRINGENT REGULATIONS BEING CONSIDERED. AUCKLAND. September 27. The framing of stringent regulations t.o govern tho Island fruit trade with New Zealand is at present being considered by the Board of 'liable, with a view to cheeking the export- oj fruit in such condition that ; t is unfit for consumption when it arrives here. For a considerable period, according to a statement made by an official of The Board of_ Trade in Wellington. large quantities of Island fruit have reached Auckland in a very bad condition. (Ihe worst of it was condemned, but many eases, which were not acceptable to Auckland merchants, were shipped to southern centres, chiefly Wellington. This has given rise to much dissatisfaction, with the result that the Board of Trade has informed the representatives of growers in Fiii and other islands that greater ear.; will have to be exercised in selecting fruit for export to Now Zealand. The official slated that ihe natives, when picking banana.?, have persistently packed fruit of inferior quality, apparently in the hope that, it would escape tile eyes of the it ~qn otor. Tee intention of the board is that the inspection at the port of iirigin shall be sc, stringent that in tho event of any cases containing damaged fruit the punt load of which they form part will have to be repicked, and nothing but the best quality included in the ship merit. The object is to impress upon the natives that New Zealand is prepared to take only the best fruit. It is understood that the Fijian authorities are anxious to foster the fruit trade with the dominion, especially in view of the Australian tariff restrictions having a detrimental effect upon the trade hitherto carried on with that country. Therefore, a tightening up in the methods of supervising the export of fruit to the dominion will, it is stated, be welcomed by those in charge of the industry at Fiji and other islands.