EXPORT OF FRUIT.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13826, 22 July 1915, Page 6

EXPORT OF FRUIT.

THE SOUTH AMERICAN DEMAND

A LIMITED MARKET

(Special to "The Colonist.")

Christohurch, July 21

The Government has received a fur. ther and final report from Mr G.. L. Taeon, the New Zealand commissioner to South America, which will lie issued by the Department of Agriculture in bulletin form at. an early date, and will be available to all interested.

While details are not yet available, it may be stated that the report is a valuable cue. Mr Tacon states that fJie South American market is a limited one, both as regards quantity and as regards the period during which fruit from New Zealand can be taken. In this matter the report confirms previous estimates that the amount tdiat the South American market can absorb of New Zealand fruit is about 150,000 cases, or less than 200,000 cases per annum, during the season that New Zealand supplies are wanted. That period is about ten weeks, extending from the middle of April to the middle of June, in other words, New Zealand fruit must not arrive in South America before the middle of April or after th/j end of June at the latest.

Another poinli emphasised by Mr 'facon is tho necessity for better grading. In this matter, Mr J. Longton, vicepresident uf the Fruitgrowers' Federation, states that the Secretary of Agriculture has promised to hasten forward the coming into operation of regulations providing for r,he shipment of fruit for export. It is intended that these regi.ilation.-j shall bo in force before nexi. season's shipping".commences. Respecting .the action taken by tho federation to c inure better methods of loading fruit on steamers, -Mr Longton says that the New Zealand Shipping Company has undertaken that wht;ti loading "fruit from wharves into their steamers in the daytime trays will be used, and that when loading at night or from small steamers alongside tneii steamers' nets will be used. Slings will be dono away with altogether. The Shaw, Savill., and Albion Company is the- only one that, has not fallen into line in the matter of abolishing tho use of slings, but that company is at present reconsidering the matter.