FRUIT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2607, 15 September 1909, Page 7

FRUIT.

THE CANNING INDUSTRY.

An interesting paper on the subject of fruit supply was read by Mir. A. Tooman, an Auckland delegate, at the meeting of the New Zealand Fruit Brokers’ Association, held at Welhngton last week. This was the only occasion on which the proceedings were open to the press. It was with great pleasure, said Mr. Tooman, that they noted the greatly increased consumption, of fruit from year to year, as compared with the old days, when an extra cartload would glut the market. The Auckland fruit crop for the year just past was b record one. There was a very large increase in the supply of late varieties of apples, since growers had, for some time past, been planting late series. He anticipated that in the near future late apples would sell at lowea* rates than would be obtainable for midseason’s croDs. He was firmly of opinion that the time had arrived when growers should give attention to the apple export trade. As to pears, he regretted that the supply had not increased sufficiently to meet the increased demand, with He result that prices for the best Kinds had been higher than in former years. Peaches were an exceptionally good crop, and he was in hopes that they would in future ‘ have a considerable surplus for canning purposes. On the subject of grapes, f Mr.'Tooman said he was sorry to say that this branch of the industry was in a bad way, and the .outlook was rather gloomy. Large areas of out-door "rapes had been planted in the north during the past years, and the supply’was already far in excess of the profitable demand for desert purposes; and there appeared to be little hope of securing satisfactory means of disposing of wines —an industry which offered very large inducements to growers. There being no wine factories to absorb the surplus,it must go to waste. When the pro - hibition was removed from Australian grapes, they feared a complete glut, which had not been the case so far as Auckland was concerned. “Grapes with us have been so cheap,” he remarked “that not a single case of imported grapes arrived in Auckland* to imy knowledge this season, and had they done so they would not have realised more than the cost of freight and duty.” Dealing with the subject of canned fruits, Mr, Tooman said that, given a fair run for a few years, he saw no Teason whj( the importation of canned fruits into the Dominion should not he a thing of the past. Satisfactory strideshad been made of late, particularly in Hawke’s Bay, and Auckland had also packed a fair quantity, hut he was sorry to say ’ that his own district, which should be foremost, was really behind the other fruit-growing centres in that branch. The fruits required in tins were chiefly pears, peaches, apricots, and a moderate quantity of apples. In order to make the industry a success, it was necessary that only the most suitable varieties should he grown for that special purpose. Some growers were of opinion that anything was good, enough for tins, hut that was a serious mistake. Only the best and most suitable fruit must he put up, in* order to enable them to compete with the imported article. To eventually take its place with the steady increase of local canning one would have expected to find a decline in the quantity of imported, but it had been the Teverse this season, partly due to the unusually low prices of Californian canned and dried fruits, owing to the exceptional crops and a splendid season, coupled with stringency in the world’s money markets. He was sorry to say that the local canned pears would not, at present, sell against Californian, for the reason that the local people wer* packing the wrong varieties, which although of fairly good quality, turned out a pinky color as against the Californian Bartlett or Bon Chretien, which were white. To make the industry a success capital was required, and also labor, and, unfortunately, the whole load was carried by the T>roducer i since labor frightened capital out, as it was doing in every industry in the Dominion The labor question was practically the only obstacle in the*way of the industry. He did not think that New Zealand would ever have a profitable outlet for canned fruits, as it oould not be expected they .would he able to compete in other markets with countries which held such great advantages. On the subject of dried fruits, Mr. Tooman said that in removing the duty it was easily seen that those responsible considered the interests of the city labor unionist to the detriment of the hard-worked tiller of the soil. He was firmly of opinion that all duties on dried fruits should be replaced. The conference unanimously accorded Mr. Tooman a hearty vote of thanks for his interesting paper.