H—3OA

Grapefruit In the main the consumers of grapefruit have for several years been dependent on locally grown fruit. The whole of the Australian grapefruit crop was reserved for juicing for the Armed Forces, leaving nothing for the Australian consumer or for export to New Zealand. Supplies from this source this coming year are still unlikely. Small shipments of first-class fruit continue to arrive from Rarotonga. It was possible, also, to arrange with Jamaica for one consignment of grapefruit to come forward with the oranges which landed in December last. If shipping arrangements can be made, further Jamaican supplies will be purchased during the coming year. Importations from 1939 to 1945 inclusive were as follows : —-

Pineapples Responsibility for arranging to import and distribute pineapples was placed with the Division in 1940, and, although the quantities imported have not been large, it has accepted all available pineapples from the Pacific islands and Australia. Australian shipments are not expected to be any larger next year, since the continued presence of servicemen reduces the local surplus formerly available for export.

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Yeap ended 31st March, 1939. 1940. 1941. 1942. Cases. Per Cent. Cases. Per Cent. Cases. Per Cent. Cases. Per Cent. Australian Jamaica .. Cook Islands Samoa U.S.A. .. 50 4,053 4,800 • 0-56 45-53 53-91 3,007 8,869 1 j 600 22-31 65-81 11-88 3,991 1,760 69-40 30-60 1,889 861 68-69 31-31 8,903 13,476 5,751 2,750 Year ended 31st March, 1943. 1944. 1945. Cases. Per Cent. Cases. Per Cent. - Cases. Per Cent. Australian Jamaica Cook Islands Samoa U.S.A. .. 1,767 *963 64-72 35-28 385 127 75-2 24-8 5,412 545 676 81-59 8-22 10-19 2,730 512 6,633

Year ended 31st March, — 1941. 1942. 1943. 1944. 1945. Cases. Per Cent. Cases. Per Cent. Cases. Per Cent. Cases. Per Cent. Cases. Per Cent. Pacific islands .. Australia 2,426 ' 6,942 25-9 74-1 4,211 5,509 43-40 56-60 336 2,528 11-7 88-3 853 3,033 21-9 78-1 2,061 2,750 42-8 57-2 9,368 9,720 2,864 3,886 4,811