BETTER THAN FORECAST

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19700, 4 August 1938, Page 8

BETTER THAN FORECAST

EXPORT APPLE SEASON U.S.A. FLOODS EUROPU CONTINENTAL DEMAND (Per Press Association ) WELLINGTON, this day. The mid-season .review of the export apple season, prepared by the London manager of the iNew Zealand Fruit Board on July ,7 and presented to the fruit exporters’ conference, stated that Woe season had been remarkable for many surprises and disappointments but, in general, it could be said that the result in toto was a much better season 'than was forecast and expected at the time the first shipments arrived. The enormous crop of apples whicii America produced last season and tho consequent flooding of all European markets had resulted in a lengthy period of glut prices and a colossal carry-over of istock.s. The official figures showed that in March tho apples in store from the United States of America and Canada were 10,000,000 boxes greater than at the same time last year and that, notwithstanding the fact that the United States Government bought up some 3,000,000 to 5,000,000 cases for free distribution for relief purposes and for manufacture of byproducts. The position on the Continent was not so good. There was no doubt that the heavy quantity of American apples dumped in various countries had helped to accentuate the difficulties in placing business satisfactorily. This was particularly noticeable in the case of Denm'ark, which suddenly opened her market at the end of May after a complete embargo for several years. Continental Purchases The advantage, so far as Australia and New Zealand were concerned, was heavily discounted by the unlimited supplies of American winesaps available at knock-out prices. The following could be taken as the approximate figures for Continental countries, apart from Norway, Sweden and Finland:—Denmark, 10,000 cases; Germany, 67,000 cases; Switzerland, 51,000 cases; France, 41,000 cases; Holland, 24,000 cases, Belgium, 7000 cases; Austria, 11,000 cases; Czechoslovakia, 14,000 cases; total, 225,000. The average price would compare favourably with the United Kingdom, but apart from that aspect it was particularly important to find markets for the quantities likely to be available in excess of the United Kingdom quota, so that the Continental position had an important aspect quite apart from the price factor.