FRUIT EXPORT.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 661, 14 January 1933, Page 7

FRUIT EXPORT.

New Marketing and Guarantee. PROSPECTS FOR RASPBERRIES. (Special to the ” Star.”) WELLINGTON, January 14. The new system for marketing New Zealand’s apples and pears in England this season will not, it is found, remove the necesssity for operation of the Government guarantee on export. This has encouraged the development of the business tremendously, and has been the great factor making for stability because financing of the export crop is thus easily arranged. The current season’s guarantee has been renewed on the basis of 10s per case for extra fancy and fancy grades, and 6s 6d for good grade'. Formerly the respective rates of the guarantee were 11s and 7s per case, and it is understood that the Control Board has approached the Government with a request that these higher figures be reinstated for the season. This matter is now before Cabinet. Insurance Levy.

In the current year’s Estimates, the Government has a vote of £3OOO to provide against its possible liability under the fruit guarantee, but inquiries show that the claims, if anything, will be trifling. There were losses, but the growers on the suggestion of the Government adopted an insurance levy on the export last season which had to stand the first charge, and the receipts from this levy, about £9500, will, it is expected, meet the position. The ultimate ideal is that this insurance fund from an export levy will gradually increase, while at the same time the Government guarantee figure will decline until in a few years the industry will take over the whole risk.

By placing the distribution in the hands of one large concern, the Fruit Board has, it is understood, obtained assurances of certain minimum prices for four different groupings of exported fruit, and will be financially covered to some extent by this arrangement, which will of course help to relieve the Government’s obligation. Raspberry Export. This season the Government is extending help to raspberry growers by way of a subsidy on export. They were faced with the serious position of having no adequate Dominion market for their crop, and the Minister of Agriculture (Hon C. E. Macmillan) informed the “ Star’s ” correspondent that the arrangements made will enable about 250 tons of raspberry pulp to be shipped to England. Two large jam factories are undertaking the pulping and packing, and are giving the growers three farthings per lb for fruit, while the Government is providing another three farthings. The cost of pulping and shipping to England will be about 2*d per lb, and it has been arranged that if realisations are over 4d per lb, the Government will divide the surplus over lid per lb which the grower will be paid for his picked fruit, the Government recouping its subsidy if realisations are sufficiently favourable. The Minister added that samples of the pulp sent Home last season were well spoken of, and there were indications that this adjunct to small farming could be developed for export.