FRUIT INDUSTRY

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 220, 13 April 1933, Page 8

FRUIT INDUSTRY

Trade with Australia Press Association. —Copyright. Nelson, April -12.—A recent Melbourne cable stated that the new trade treaty between Australia and New Zealand provides, amongst other things, that Australia is to have the New Zealand market for dried and canned fruits and certain fresh fruits. Mr. Milner, managing director of Kirkpatrick’s, Ltd. doubts if the message is correct. The terms of the treaty will not be announced until both Governments have had an opportunity of considering them, and the treaty will then remain to be ratified by the respective Parliaments.

Mr. Milner stated it was absolutely essential to the fruit-canning and fruitgrowing industries of New Zealand that at least the present duties on imported canned fruits from Australia should be maintained. The industry of fruit canning in New Zealand had developed rapidly in the past few years. New Zealand was now able to cater for its own requirements in peaches, apricots, pears and small fruits. Fruit canning was dove-tailed with the primary industry of fruit growing. Fruit growing supported many New Zealand families in close settlement, for which the industry was particularly adapted. Fruit canning was a very valuable secondary industry and fully entitled to adequate protection. Thousands of pounds was invested in fruit caning and fruit growing in New Zealand. Relying on repeated Government promises of reasonable tariff assistance and encouragement the fruit growers had increased their areas and made substantial additions to the factories canning plants. Kirkpatrick’s now purchased for canning all canning pears grown in the Nelson district* They purchased large quantities of canning apricots from Otago, besides taking all canning peaches grown by local orchardists, and had established a large peach orchard of the best selected canning varieties of peaches covering 250 acres. “The problem does not end with what might seem a selfish desire on our part to urge for adequate tariff protection,” aded Mr. Milner. “The problem is bigger than that, for you must add to the number of people employed in the New Zealand fruit canneries thousands of farmers people who owe their livelihood directly and indirectly to the prosperity of the industry.”