FRUIT INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 209, 4 August 1937, Page 10

FRUIT INDUSTRY.

CONFERENCE OPENED. MINISTER’S SPEECH. WELLINGTON, Aug. 3. The combined conference of the New Zealand Fruit Control Board and the New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation was opened to-day by the Minister ot Agriculture and acting-Mmister of Marketing (the Hon. W. Lee Martin). In welcoming the Minister the chairman of the board. Mr H JL. Stephens, said it could be claimed that tho industry deserved full consideration and assistance from tho Government. It was an ideal means lor the promotion of closer settlement, and lie thought that the Government recognised its value from points of view ot both employment and health. All growers he thought, felt that, although there might be disagreement on the best means to adopt, the Government was making earnest efforts to stabilise the export'and local markets. Tho industry was awaiting a pronouncement from the Government on the subject, and was confident that the promise made by the Prime Minister last year that growers would be enabled to make a reasonable living would be carried ° Ut ' A DIFFICULT SEASON.

The Minister referred to the steps he had taken during the past season to acquaint himself more fully with the industry. The season had been a difficult one. Damage by frost and hail had reduced the quantity of fruit exported, the total exports, 902,33/ cases of apples and 42,416 cases of pears, being the lowest since 1927. Frost relief in the form of sustenance and a subsidy on expenditure for labour had been granted by the Government to those growers who had been badly hit, and the assistance given had been much appreciated. For the 1937 fruit shipments the Government had guaranteed the growers a c.i.f. return of 10s 6d per case (New Zealand currency) for apples and pears . packed in accordance with the export regulations for shipment to approved markets, continued the Minister. The prices realised for the earlier shipnieiits were fairly satisfactory, hut later in the season the returns fell away. Towards the end of the season, however, the market made an unexpected and appreciable recovery, and credit was due to the Fruit Export Control Board for placing a quantity of fruit in cool storage when prices were distressingly low. This policy had, incidentally, relieved to some extent the call on the guaranteed price. IMPROVED MANAGEMENT. The Minister went on to speak of the progress of the citrus industry and the steady improvement in the general standard of orchard management. The. orchard research scheme inaugurated five seasons ago was giving valuable results. The growth of the export trade had brought a number of problems of fruit preservation which had been the subject of experimental work by the department, and the results had been extremely valuable.