FRUIT CANNING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18064, 15 April 1933, Page 13

FRUIT CANNING

AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION “PRESENT DUTIES ESSENTIAL” A cablegram from Melbourno last week stated that the new trade treaty between Australia and New Zealand provided, among other things, that Australia was to have the New Zealand market for dried and canned fruits and certain fresh fruits. Mr. Milner, managing director of S. Kirkpatrick and Company, Limited, Nelson, in an interview, said he doubted if the message was correct as far as canned fruits were concerned. The terms of the treaty will not be announced until both Governments have had an opportunity of considering them, and will then have to be ratified by the respective Parliaments, Mr. Milner stated it was absolutely essential to the fruit canning and fruitgrowing industries of New Zealand that at least the present duties on imported canned fruits from Australia should be maintained. The industry of fruit canning had developed rapidly in the past few years and New Zealand was now able to cater for its own requirements in canned fruits, peaches, apricots, pears and small fruits.

Fruit canning was dove-tailed with the primary industry of fruitgrowing, which supported many New Zealand families in close settlement. Fruit canning was a very valuable secondary industry, continued Mr. Milner, and was fully-entitled to adequate protection.