BAD APPLE SHIPMENTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19329, 2 November 1932, Page 14

BAD APPLE SHIPMENTS

SERIOUS EFFECT IN ENGLAND. COMMENT BY EXPERT. Problems of vital interest to New Zealand fruit exporters were discussed by Mr J. L. Brown, of Nelson, late chairman of the New Zealand Fruit Control Board. He went to London last year to take charge of the London office until a permanent head was appointed. On the arrival of Mr H Turner he relinquished his duties. “Apples and pears were exported to the total of approximately 1.500,000 bushel cases for the 1932 season," said Mr Brown. “The quantity of apples Was about 15 times that of pears. “Of the total about 100,000 cases were landed direct on the Continent. 30,000 cases in South America and 20.000 cases in Canada. The remainder went tc the Home markets. Normally our shipments arrive in good condition, but this year that was not the case, part' dariy in respect to Cox's and Jonathans. I am not prepared at the presem. time to give my views as to the bad condition of shipment after shipmert, but there will be an ’’.quiry held he-» as to ihe cause. I can say, however, as far as (he Jena :i;::s are concerned, fl at thfv were suffering from low temperature scald, and the Cox's from over maturity. We have had one or two bad shipments of Cox’s in the past, but never such a succession of consignments. The only lots that came to hand in good condition were the shipments from Auckland and Christchurch. “These bad shipments have naturally had a serious effect on New Zealand fruit exports. This year the English markets were glutted in June and July. Australian shipments were largely responsible, the Commonwealth sending about 3.000,000 cases. It was the most difficult season for apples in England that had been experienced for years." Passion Fruit. Referring to the experimental shipment of passion fruit sent forward through the Government’s Industrial Research Department, Mr Brown said that the fruit was packed in various ways. Some showed considerable wastage, some was all waste. The few packages which arrived in good condition were regarded as the finest flavoured that had ever been sold at Covent Garden. “But there is really no demand.” said Mr Brown. “Passion fruit is not at all in favour by the English fruit-eating public. I was astonished to find this. My investigations led me to believe that it will take many years to induce the English people to cultivate a demand for this product. It has been tried without success in all the leading restaurants and hotels. The same can be said of the juice. People don’t want it, and they complain of the number of seeds.” Grape Fruit. Mr Brown said he was in England when the trial shipment of New Zealand grape fruit arrived by the Rangitiki. “My considered opinion is that poorman oranges should never have been labelled ‘grape fruit,’ ” he said. “They were sold according to label, and their appearance was good, and they sold freely at a fair price. It was found, however, that as soon as the cold went off the fruit they began to rot rapidly. The trade said they ‘melted.’ Grape fruit is in great demand at the present time, and prices have been specially high during the last 12 months; in consequence, the price received for the New Zealand shipment was around about 15/- a case. If real grape fruit fell in normal times to 15/- the New Zealand product would bring from 8/- to 10/-". Mr Brown said the people in the Homeland did not make marmalade, leaving it to the manufacturer, and Seville oranges, which came in large quantities and sold cheaply, were used, i Even if the New Zealand poorman orange were shipped as a marmalade i orange he did not think it would have a chance to compete with the produce 1 of Spain.