BETTER SYSTEM.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20232, 16 February 1934, Page 12

BETTER SYSTEM.

Need for Marketing of F ruit. The marketing of fruit, a subject of special interest to growers at this time of the year, was the theme of an address given last evening by Mr B. G. Goodwin to the Canterbury Fruitgrowers’ Association. The problem of local marketing, said Mr Goodwin, was one of the greatest that the fruitgrowers had to face. One thing was vitally necessary, and that was a grading. system on the lines of that operating on export fruit. It was necessary to make sure that poor fruit should be graded out and the top grades sold as such. The buyer had to be considered. Those who wanted the good article should be able to get it. It was no different in the case of fruit from any « ther merchandise. The proposal, he continued, had been met with some opposition when it was mooted in connection with export fruit. However, as soon as overseas buyers realised they could depend on the graded article for the quality advertised, the good effect of the system soon became apparent. That would apply just as well to the local markets. When grades were established, the standard should be maintained steadfastly. Distribution, or supply and demand was another consideration which shaald never be lost sight of. Regulation of supplies was needed. No one liked to be told what to do, but the only satisfactory system was compulsory control. Some better system than that obtain.r.g at present was an urgent necessity There had been no great success with export last year, but in the speaker’s personal opinion no system would have overcome the economic conditions prevailing at that time. It was impossible to carry on individually under “rafferty rules.”