EXPORT OF FRUIT.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXII, Issue 1, 20 January 1921, Page 35

EXPORT OF FRUIT.

THIS SEASON’S REQUIREMENTS AND CONDITIONS.

J. A. CAMPBELL

>, Assistant Director of the Horticulture Division.

There are necessarily many problems to be overcome in the process of developing an export trade. Many of these’ are obvious at the outset, and their solution may therefore be attempted straight away, but others not anticipated have the unhappy knack of cropping up in the course of actual practice. Something of the kind has been , our experience as a result oQ our modest shipments of fruit to England last year. As this business is likely to be on a very much larger scale, and the new season is about to commence, a little advice to growers and packers at this stage may be of value. . •

FRUIT-CASES.

The. export case provided by the regulations has an inside measurement of io in. by u| in. by 191 in. The Canadian standard case, which will also be accepted, has inside measurements of io| in. by n| in. by 18 in. Except that the tops and bottoms of the Canadian cases are thinner and are used with a cleat, the timber for construction is practically the same as in our own. In fact, the tops and bottoms of the New Zealand standard case should be reduced in thickness and used with cleats also. In shape either case is satisfactory. For local purposes our own case has stood up to its work quite well, giving little or no trouble. Therefore the alarming manner in which many of these cases collapsed when being loaded on to the oversea boats at Wellington last year, and later, it is understood, on the wharves in London, constituted one of the unlooked-for but none the less serious incidents in connection with the success or otherwise of this trade.

It is of course obvious to any one that this cannot be allowed to continue. The first consideration with respect to any package is stability. Whatever size or shape it might be, it is worse than useless if it fails to land its contents successfully at its destination. Unfortunately, the class of timber from which cases are made is usually poor stuff at best. However, bad as it often is, it usually lends itself to a certain amount of selection, and this selection, so far as intending exporters are concerned, should be practised without fail and only the best timber selected for the construction of export cases.

In this connection the following advice is given : (i.) Select the best timber on hand for the construction of export cases, reserving that of poorer quality for local marketing purposes. (2.) Overseasoned timber should not be used. (3.) Six-inch and four-inch side boards should be used, and the order of their use should be reversed on either side of the case ; this will tend to strengthen the grain and prevent end-splitting. (4.) Nails stouter and longer than ordinary should be used, and should be driven on the skew and dovetail plan. (5.) Cases or case-timber should be stacked under cover or made up just prior to packing ; they should not be exposed to the weather, particularly to

a hot sun. (6.) When packed all projecting ends should be shaved off flush, otherwise the case will be liable to be torn to pieces in the process of handling.

As a further safeguard against damage to cases in transit the adoption of a simple process of wiring recently made available is strongly advocated. Full particulars regarding this process may be had from the general manager of the Fruitgrowers’ Federation, or the agent, Mr. H. Hoare, Dixon Street, Wellington.

COLOUR STANDARDS.

The standard of colour required by the regulations has been held responsible by certain English agents for a certain proportion of our fruit arriving on the market in an overmature state. This conclusion is held by the writer to be altogether incorrect, the overmaturity of the fruit having been due to unavoidable delay at this end after the fruit was in the cases, rather than to its being held on the tree too long in order to allow it to assume the required amount of colour. However, certain relaxations in the colour standards have been made with respect to fruit being shipped to European markets during the coming season, as will be seen in the amended export conditions quoted later on.

REGISTERED EXPORT NUMBER.

The absence of a distinguishing mark on fruit-cases submitted for examination has several times in the past placed the Inspector in a difficult position. In these instances a small percentage of the line, possibly the fruit from a single orchard, has been found to be well below the standard required. In such circumstances the Inspector has had either to pass fruit which should not be passed, as there has been no means of distinguishing the cases objected to from the remainder of the stack, or to condemn the whole line of possibly several hundred cases, thereby causing a heavy and unnecessary loss to the association concerned. The branding of the cases with the grower’s registered number will overcome this difficulty, and packing associations are likely to be thereby more than well compensated for the little extra trouble involved.

EXPORT REGULATIONS.

With respect to the fruit-export regulations, it has been decided by the Department to ’ allow the following modifications for the season 1921 :- ' .

COMBINED GRADE-MARKS.

Apples conforming to the requirements of Extra Fancy and Fancy may be packed together in the same case, but in all such instances where the resultant pack runs 50 per cent, and upwards of fruit carrying the colour requirement of “ Extra Fancy ” the case or cases must be branded with the combined grade-mark abbreviated to “ Extra and Fancy Combn.”

In all instances where the resultant pack runs less than 50 per cent, of such highly coloured fruits the case or cases must be branded with the lower grademark of “ Fancy.”

CLASSES.

The existing partial red and striped class will be divided and a distinctstriped class instituted. ’The colour requirements. of the striped class will be 33 J per cent, and 20 per cent, respectively of good typical colour for “ Extra Fancy ” and “ Fancy grades.

COLOUR STANDARDS.

Notwithstanding the provisions of the regulations, which will not be altered in this respect until further experience has been gained, apples carrying io per cent, less colour with respect to “ Extra Fancy ” and 5 per cent, less colour with respect to “ Fancy ” than is requited by the regulations will be accepted during the 1921 season for export to Europe only.

The above reduction in colour will apply to all the grade classes, including the newly introduced striped class above referred to.

REGISTERED EXPORT NUMBER

The “ registered number ” issued to all growers under the| “ Local Market Regulations” will be declared to be the grower’s registered export number also. The registered number of each grower must be branded on each case of fruit exported by him, whether packed by the grower himself or packed and shipped through a packing association. The characters used in connection with such number shall be not less than fin. in the case of stencils.

MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM SIZES OF APPLES FOR EXPORT TO EUROPE.

The minimum size of fruit approved for export for the above purpose will be 210 per case (= 2 J in.) with the exception of those varieties marked * in. the appended lists. With respect to the varieties so marked the minimum will be 175 per case (= 2-Jin.). The maximum size with respect to all varieties will be 90 per case (= 3 in.).

MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM SIZES OF APPLES FOR EXPORT TO SOUTH AMERICA AND OTHER MARKETS.

The minimum and maximum sizes of apples approved for export for the above purposes will be 175 per case (= 2|in.) and 72 (= 3^in.) respectively.

AGE OF TREES.

The regulations restricting fruit for export to that taken from trees of seven years of age and upwards will still remain in force, but arrangements will be made during the coming season for experimental shipments of fruit to be made from. trees of a lesser age than seven years.

STENCILLING AND LABELLING.

Herewith is a facsimile of a stencil reduced in size according to scale, and it is issued for the guidance of growers. The stencil suggests the minimum

wording required. “ New Zealand Apples ” must be in not less than 1 in. lettering ; registered export number not less than | in. with respect to paper labels and not less than Jin. with respect to stencils; Packed for Export ” not less than fin. “ Raroa ” takes the place of the packing-shed, orchard, &c., and should not be less than 1 in. lettering. “ 120 ” represents the number of apples in the case. This, together with “ Fancy ” and “Jonathan,” will in most instances require to be branded by means of rubber stamps, the lettering of which should be not less than in. Paper labels,

apart from any form of ornamental, design, must also bear the wording represented by the stencil copy.

Application for export brands or labels, together with facsimile of such brands or labels, must still be made to the Director of the Horticulture Division.

APPLES, PEARS, AND PEACHES APPROVED FOR EXPORT. Those marked. * are limited to a minimum size of 2|in. ; those marked t must be- specially good of .the variety to secure the Government guarantee.

Apples. Solid Red Varieties. Baldwin. King David, f. Tasma. Hoover. * f Spitzenberg. Partial Red Varieties. Crofton. Rome Beauty.* Shepherd’s Perfection. Delicious. ■ Scarlet Nonpareil. Wealthy.f Dougherty. : , Scarlet Pearmain. Worcester Pearmain. John Sharp.f : . Sharp’s Late Red.* Yates. Jonathan. Striped Varieties. . . Adams Pearmain. ■ Gravenstein. . Statesman. Allin gton Pippin. Premier. Stayman. Cox’s Orange. Ribston Pippin., Yellow or Green Varieties. Boston Russet.f ' Golden Pippin. ' • Reinette du Canada.*! Brownlee’s Russet.J : London Pippin. *f Sturmer Pippin. Cleopatra. Newtown Pippin. Willie Sharp. Dunn’s Favourite.* ’ Parlins Beauty.* ■ ' ... ~ Pears. Bachelier. Doyenne du Comice. L’lnconnue. Beurre Bose. Duchess d’ Angouleme. Marie Louise. Beurre Capiaumont. ' Durondeau. Packham’s Triumph. Beurre Clairgeau. ’■ ■ Elizabeth : Cole. . ■ - P. Barry. Beurre d’Anjou. Giblin’s Nelis. Twyford’s Monarch. Beurre Diel. Glou Morceau. . Winter Cole. Beurre Easter. ... . Josephine de Malines. Winter Nelis. Directeur Hardy. . . . . . ' ■ . Peaches. Elberta. ' ' Kia' Ora. Sea Eagle. Golden Queen. Lippiatt’s Late Red. ' Sea Eagle Improved. • Hobbs’s Late. • Paragon. Solway. James’ Cling. ' Prizetaker.' ' Wheatland. Kalamazoo.

GOVERNMENT GUARANTEE.

The following are the conditions of the Government guarantee of a. net return of id. per pound on fruit exported during the season 1921 :■ — The guarantee is to be limited to 200,000 cases of approved varieties and classes of fruit. : '

The Government liability under the guarantee' extends to the samecharges for the packing, shipment, &c., of the fruit, as was the case during the last season.

It is a condition of the offer of the guarantee that all fruit exported under it must be covered by an all-risk insurance policy. The guarantee be limited to fruit grown and shipped on consignment by bona fide, fruitgrowers, and fruitgrowers' co-operative societies,, through the New Zealand Fruitgrowers' Federation, provided that body affords equal shipping-facilities to all.

. Notwithstanding that the offer applies to fruit shipped to any market, the -Minister reserves the' right to limit the quantity of fruit shipped to any particular market, should shipping-accommodation; freight rates, market conditions, &c., be deemed unsatisfactory. The - requirements in regard to. the fruit passing the Department’s. Inspectors, in terms of the export regulations, will, of course, apply.