OTAGO FRUIT EXPORT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3912, 5 March 1929, Page 12

OTAGO FRUIT EXPORT.

INDICATIONS GENERALLY ENCOURAGING.

’Present vindications are for a fairly satisfactory export season for fruitgrowers in Otago. The first shipment of® locallygrown apples for the 1929 export season has been booked for the Westmoreland, which vessel will commence loading at Port Chalmefs on March 25, leaving on the 28th, Port Chalmers being the last port of call in New Zealand.

The Westmoreland is being put on the loading berth 10 days sooner than was expected, as the first ship was required for April 4. This may have the effect of curtailing the quantity of fruit available for the initial shipment and bringing it below the estimate. However, there will probably be in the vicinity of 12,000 cases, comprising principally Jonathan, Cox’s Orange Pippin, and Dunn’s Favourite. There is every indication that the crop of J onathnns this year will show a marked increase in quality on that of last season. It is anticipated that samples this year will posssess no lack of the colour and flavour that was missed last season—a lack which lowered the standard of the fruit exported considerably below the high level of quality that is expected from Otago. General indications are for a lighter export season than in 1928, but on the other hand, owing to heavier rainfall experienced in the growing areas, some of the lighter lands will produce apples of larger size than usual, and it will not be surprising if the final total for the 1929 season is within reasonable distance of that of 1928.

There, are some very fine crops of CleoP.atras in. Central Otago this year, particularly in the vicinity of Ettrick, and as this is a variety that has come much’into favour during the past two or three years, it is quite expected that they will bring at least two shillings per case more than other varieties, with the exception, of course, of Cox’s Orange Pippins/ which, for reasonably good stuff, are sure to

average about 25s per case on the London markets.

A pleasing feature of this year’s export lists is the showing made by those few orchardists in the Fruitlands district who have kept their trees. This small company of growers is providing several thousand cases of apples for export. After the disastrous frost of December, 1927, which all but wiped Fruitlands out, the bulk of the orchardists pulled out their trees and reverted to rgricultural and pastoral pursuits, a tendency that was made the more general by the irrigation difficulties by which settlers were confronted. . No one will begrudge the reward which has come, and is likely to come, to those who had the determination and perseverance to hold fast to the orchard areas.

It is reported that the districts of Beaumont and Lauder will enter the Otago export lists for the first time this season, and there is every indication that they will le very fortunate in the selection of a starting year, at least from the point of view of London market prices, as the earlier estimates of shortages on the Australian mainland and’ in Tasmania seem likely to be very near the marki

The market for New Zealand pears in LondonTias been somewhat spoiled owing to the heavy importations from South Africa, but latest advices are to the effect that supplies from that quarter are likely to be on the light side, with a corresponding advantage in favour of the New Zealand article.