FRUIT INDUSTRY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 251, 4 August 1937, Page 8

FRUIT INDUSTRY

SUPERVISION BY THE STATE. LEGISLATION DRAFTED. (Per Press Association. > WELLINGTON, August 3. A reference to New Zealand’s fruit losses during last season- on account rf frost and other climatological factors was made by the Acting - Minister of Marketing (the Hon. W. Leo Martin) at the conference of the New Zealand Fruit Control Board and Fruitgrowers’ Federation to-day. The Minister stated that damage by frost and hail had reduced the quantity of fruit exported, the total exports of 902,337 cases of apples and 42,418 cases of pears being the lowest since 1927. From relief in the form oc 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. The Minister then proceeded to deal with the marketing of fruit. “As you are all probably aware by this time,” he said, “the Cabinet, after considering the findings of the Fruit Marketing Committee, decided to puxits major recommendations into effect by amending the primary products marketing legislation. At' first sight this may appear to envisage complete control of your industry. Power will be incorporated in the Act to this end, but it is not the Government’s intention to take such control, but rather to vest such responsibility in the hands of those engaged in the industry unless, of course, an extreme emergency arises. “Summarised, the position is that the Government is aiming at State direction rather than State control. It must be recognised, however, that any voluntary scheme of reorganisation will be bound to fail unless compulsory powers in the form of suitable legislation were available. Not only has the Cabinet approved of the drafting of this legislation for presentation to Parliament at the forthcoming session, but it ha 9 arranged for your industry to bo supervised by the director of internal marketing, Mr F. R. Picot.”

THE LOCAL MARKET. REHABILITATION NECESSITY. • WELLINGTON, August 3. The opinion that the introduction by the Government of. the compulsory standardisation of fruit was the first step toward rehabilitating the industry in New Zealand, was expressed by Mr H. E. Stephens (chairman of ,„the New Zealand Fruit Export Control Board) in his address to the annual conference to-day. The rehabilitation pi the local markst is a dire necessity, not only because of the collapse of the overseas markets but because of the present unsettled world conditions indicate that war is not altogether a remote possibility. Should it unfortunately occur it as almost certain that there would be no shipping space available for export fruit, which would mean that the whole of the crop would have to be disposed of to the best advantage within New Zealand, and under the unsatisfactory conditions which prevail at present this would be complete disastei* to the fruit industry,” Mr Stephens said. “Orderly marketing, therefore, from the grower’s point of view, is a matter of great urgency. It was with pleasure that fruitgrowers learned of the decision of the Government to investigate these matters, but since the report of the investigations last January very little seems to have been done, and at present the industry has no clear programme ahead of it.”. The Commission of Inquiry had indicated that the crux of the problem was the need for reducing expenses between the producer and the consumer, continued Mr Stephens. It was doubtful whether the trade could do this unless it was assisted toward complete organisation by some authoritative and sympathetic organisation such as the present Government. With the help if the Government the trade could no doubt work out its own salvation to the benefit of the country as a whole, and it was hoped that a definite constructive programme would be prepared. In the meantime it was only reasonable to suggest that growers should be granted a guarantee which would recompense them for the economic and efficient production of fruit.