FRUIT SUPPLIES

Southland Times, Issue 21849, 28 October 1932, Page 8

FRUIT SUPPLIES

IMPORTS CONTROLLED BANANAS FROM THE ISLANDS PROTECTING GROWERS (From Our Parliamentary Reporter,) Wellington, October 27. In future the number of bananas imported into New Zealand will be controlled, the Prime Minister stated in reply to an urgent question in the House of Representatives this afternoon. This action is to be taken to prevent the growers from being forced out of business, Mr Forbes said, as a reduction in the number of growers would result in a shortage later and consequently higher prices. Mr W. E. Barnard (L., Napier), asked if the quota system was being introduced in connection with the importation of bananas with a view to benefiting importers at the expense of consumers. “Owing to a considerable over-sup-ply of bananas to the New Zealand market which resulted in ruinous prices and heavy losses,” said Mr Forbes, “all supplying countries, including the Cook Islands and Western Samoa, have decided to limit the quantities to be shipped so as to allow the ■importation into New Zealand of a total quantity of bananas equivalent to 25,000 Fiji cases every four weeks during the months of May, June, July, August and September and 30,000 cases during the remainder of the year. These quantities are considered to be the utmost that can be absorbed in this Dominion at a price that will enable growers to supply. No proper indication of the average prices can, of course, be obtained from sales, in October, November and December, when prices are invariably higher than during the remainder of the year. In the absence of some such agreement many growers were on the point of being forced out of production and the result would have been a shortage of supplies with a corresponding increase in price to the consumer in New Zealand followed by disturbing fluctuations both in supplies and in prices. The position of growers in the Cook Islands and Western Samoan was most serious and the Government was reluctant to consider anything in the nature of duty, which would be the only alternative to a quota system. The present arrangement is considered to be in the best interests of both producers and consumers who will each benefit by a system of orderly marketing.”