EMBARGO ON FRUIT IMPORTS

Taranaki Daily News, 20 January 1933, Page 12

EMBARGO ON FRUIT IMPORTS

SUGGESTION FOR CONFERENCE. RESOLUTION OF N.S.W. BOARD. The action of the New Zealand Government in placing an* embargo on the importation of Australian fruit into the Dominion was the subject of consideration at a recent meeting in Sydney of the board of the New South Wales Fruitgrowers’ Federation. A minute submitted by the president, Mr. J. J. Heane, stated that, as a matter of policy, the federation had for many years stood firmly in support of the prohibition of the importation of deciduous fruit, owing to the danger of infeshtation by fireblight. The danger was not only to the apple and pear grwers, but to practically all deciduous fruits. In view of the assertion that the removal of the embargo against New Zealand apples would of necessity be accepted by other countries, as an, admission that New South Wrles did not fear the introduction of fireblight, it would appear to be inevitable that the door would be opened, not only to New Zealand, but to other countries, and the risk of infection by fireblight would be so great under these conditions as to cause very serious thought before recommending any relaxation. Even though it might be suggested that there was very little risk of the introduction of this disease by the admis-

sion of fruit certified to be “clean,” it must be remembered, said Mr. Heane, that not only the climatic conditions, but the cultural conditions existing in the Commonwealth were such as would lend themselves to a rapid spread of the disease once it became introduced. On the other hand, the volume of business done by fruitgrowers with New Zealand was so substantial as to,warrant almost any steps' being taken to secure its retention. Last year’s figures showed that omething like jO,OOO worth of business was done by the growers of the Commonwealth with New Zealand. The figures were made up as follows:— Oranges £119,870, lemons £9359, pineapples £6386, other fresh fruits (probably mostly cherries and grapes), £28,707. Mr. Heane suggested that, in view of the fact that other commodities besides fruit were prohibited by Australia, the Commonwealth Government might reasonably be asked to negotiate with New Zealand in respect to these commodities, with a view to a relaxation which would compensate New Zealand for the loss which they now appeared to think they were suffering from through the embargo against their apples. The following resolution was adopted: “That the State Government be asked to request the Federal Government to confer with the New Zealand Government with a view to a satisfactory adjustment of trade in respect of the various items affected by the embargoes of both countries, and that the embargo recently proclaimed by New Zealand be lifted pending such conference.”