COOK ISLANDS FRUIT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19026, 28 May 1936, Page 15

COOK ISLANDS FRUIT

CRITICISM OF QUALITY TROUBLE TO RETAILERS SUGGESTION OF REMEDIES (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Further evidence was hoard to-day bj the Industries and Commerce Committee of the House of Representatives concerning the Cook Island fruit trade. Air. A. G. Osborne, representing the Auckland fruit retailers, said the. retailers would have more confidence m prices fixed by the Government than by those now doing it. He gave figures and dates of shipments to prove that evei> auctioneer had instructions as to the minimum price for the day. The unsatisfactory condition of Islands fruit on arrival was, he said, one of the root difficulties, and ho contrasted the condition of the Islands oranges with oranges of the same variety irom Jamaica, coining three times as far and being landed in perfect condition. H the Islands fruit were grown and marketed in as good a condition, he said it coulci supply all New Zealand’s requirements. Evidence was also given by Mr. H. A. Newall, of Dunedin, and Mr. Charles Capes, of Christchurch. Mr. R. Menzies, of Wellington, declared that the time was coming when the retailers would refuse to handle Cook Islands fruit at all unless it was repacked in Now Zealand and graded for sale. RAPID DETERIORATION

He gave, instances where ns much as a third of the fruit had to be thrown away on the first picking over, and saicl that the deterioration of even the picked-over fruit was so rapid that fruit- placed on the shelves in the morning had to be thrown out at night. Mr. J. Stanton, representing _tne Auckland Fruit- Importers’ Federation, said there was no trust or monopoly, and no high profits were made. There should, he said, be more a rigid mspection of the fruit before shipment. The number of packing sheds should be reduced, and each shed should bn m charre of a competent citrus inspector. No Fruit Control Board, or any other system, could improve the position until hotter methods of growing and inspecting were initiated.