APPLE SUPPLY

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23962, 1 June 1943, Page 6

APPLE SUPPLY

MINISTERIAL POLICY CRITICISED "The statement by the Minister of Marketing (the Hon. J. G. Barclay) that apples would be in short supply is not surprising to those who know that it has been the deliberate policy of the department to sell quickly the whole of that portion of the crop for which there is no cool store accommodation,” said Mr H. R. Sampson, Canterbury director of the New Zealand Fruit Growers’ Federation, yesterday. “This means,’! said Mr Sampson, ‘That apples are plentiful for a very short period, but consumers will find them scarce and dear for the rest of the year. Formerly it had been the practice of Canterbury growers to hold a large part of their mid and late season crop in the orchard where, under our climatib conditions, it will keep very well, enabling the grower tp supply properly mellowed fruit until the early spring, when the longer keeping cool store apples could be drawn upon to supply the market until Christmas. “This system has been swept away by the department, which imposed impracticable conditions in respect of orchard storage. Thus the coming apple shortage has been created by the department. The Minister apparently expects the public to appreciate his thoughtfulness in doling out his stocks with care, but he refrains from informing consumers that his department is responsible for the shortage.”