DOMINION FRUIT

Southland Times, Issue 22921, 20 June 1936, Page 8

DOMINION FRUIT

MARKETING PROBLEMS INQUIRY TO BE MADE (United Press Association.) Christchurch, June 19. The Minister of Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) stated to-day that a Commission is to be appointed immediately to conduct a thorough inquiry into all phases of the marketing of fruit and vegetables in New Zealand. For some years past, said the Minister, those engaged in the marketing of fruit and vegetables in the Dominion had been asking successive Governments for a thorough inquiry to be held into their problems and recently he had promised a deputation from the Fruit Retailers’ Federation that hej, would gjve effect to the 1930 recommendation of the Industries and Commerce Committee of the House that such inquiry should take place. The inquiry would be conducted by a Commission of three persons consisting of a magistrate, a representative of the Department of Industries and Commerce and a representative of the Horticultural Division of the Department of Agriculture. A provisional order of reference for the inquiry had been drawn up, said the Minister. That included an investigation into the channels of the disposal of New Zealand-grown fruit, classes sold locally, methods of picking, grading or standardization, handling and transport to markets, cool storage facilities, sales’ methods, growers’ organizations, the extent of sales of New Zealand fruit for canning, the utilization of surplus fruit, etcetera. It was also proposed to conduct an investigation into New Zealand grown vegetables on similar lines and the marketing in New Zealand of imported fruit. The investigation would be extended to include the citrus-growing industry in New Zealand and the raspberry and hop industries in Nelson, also the businesses of auctioneers, retailers and wholesale fruit merchants in connection with the retailing side of the business. One of the matters concerning which information is to be sought is nationality of the proprietors of fruit shops, whether they are British, European or Asiatic.