FRUIT MARKETING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19701, 5 August 1938, Page 13

FRUIT MARKETING

DOMINION CONTROL it »t ~~~ " GROWERS' REQUEST r t EXPORT ISSUE RAISED a t MINISTER'S ATTITUDE (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. A request that the Government organise, through the Internal Marketing Department, with the cooperation of the growers, the sale and distribution of pip fruit in New Zealand, and that it give the minimum guaranteed price for such fruit, was made to the Minister of Marketing, the Hon. W. Nash, yesterday, by a deputation from the New Zealand FruitGrowers' Federation, Limited and the New Zealand Fruit Export Control Board. ' Later, the deputation reported to the conference of fruit-growers, which was being held in Wellington. Mr. Nash's first comment, said the acting-general manager of the federation, Mr. J. Parker, was: "What about export?" He did not see how it was possible to organise the local market without the export market being linked up with it. He did not approve of the minimum price. He said it would be absurd for the Government to act as the one buyer for fruit immediately, but it might be able to arrange for other parties to do the buying. Buying from Orchards In reply to the chairman of the board, Mr. H. E. Stephens, who asked what that meant, Mr. Parker said Mr. Nash indicated that the Government was not in a position to buy fruit direct from the orchards, but that it might be left to other buyers. He did not enlarge on the point. Mr. J. L. Brown, Nelson, said Mr. Nash stated that any action taken could not be confined to pip fruits. He said definitely he could not visualise Dominion control without export control. -! *Rl3| "I warned you that that would take place in two or three years, but Mr. Nash thinks it will go from the jump. That is my impression," said Mr. Brown. Mr. L. B. Robinson, Motueka, said Mr. Nash did not definitely turn down the minimum price, although he was

not at all well disposed towards it. "You sent us there to asrc the Government to take over your business," said Mr. F. G. Duncan, Otugo. Delegates: The local market. Mr. Duncan: I suggest the real reading of the remit is thai we ask the Government to assist us to the extent that they would practically take over our businesses." Say in Export Wanted Mr. Robinson suggested that the conference should discuss what its attitude would be if the Government made the taking over of the export market a condition of granting assistance asked for on the local market. "Would ' we be prepared to go to that length?" he asked. Mr. Brown said he did not think that if tthe Government did take over marketing in the Dominion it would interfere to any extent immediately with the work of the export control board. "Practically unanimously," he said, "we have asked the Government: to take over marketing in the Dominion and the Minister has intimated pretty definitely that they cannot do it without a say in export. We can understand that the two go together to a large extent." It was no use mincing matters, said Mr. Duncan. "Do you want to lose your identity, or do you not?" he asked. Use of Control Board "I think that at present we would be unwise to give any indication in public of our attitued to the question," said Mr. T. C. Brash, president of the federation. He agreed with the other speakers that if the Government took over the export as well as the local market, it would use the control board perhaps not with the same powers, but at least in [in advisory capacity. Mr. Brash suggested that the delegates should confer with their own districts. "It is time enough to cross our bridges when we come to them," said Mr. Stephens. Mr. B. T. Turner, Canterbury: Now you see how far-sighted we were in opposing the move in the combined conference. Now the chickens are coming home to roost. The export and local market are inseparable. We have to be in with the Government or out. The deputation also reported that Mr. Nash was in full agreement with the growers' advertising proposals and was alive to the possibilities of the fruit-juice industry. He could not see how universal charging for cases could be introduced this season. However, he gave the deputation a very sympathetic hearing.