FRUIT FREELY TRANSPORTED BY AIR

Chronicle (Levin), 10 January 1948, Page 2

FRUIT FREELY TRANSPORTED BY AIR

Press Assoctationy

(Per

, DUNEDIN, Jau. 9. Tliousands of eases of fruit, which lms be-en ripeno'l quiekly by rocent hot weather, are being despatehed daily from Uentral Otago orchards to markets iu Auckland. The fruit comes to Dunedin by rail, eontinuiug to Christchurch by the night goods train. The Railways Road Transp'ort takes tlie fruit to Harewood airport where it is transferred to aircraft in the early morning and flown to Auckland. With the Dunedin market adequatelv supplied, increasing numbers of fruitgrowers m Uentral Otago are taking advautage of tlie coiubined rail and air freight services to place their fruit on the uorthern inarkets. The additional transport expeuses. are being recouped as a resuit of tlie higher prices ruling in Auckland. IMore iruit and other produce from Central Otago would go north if there was an unliniited air freight service from Dunedin. A restricted amount of air freight can be taken at present by Ihe tvvo passenger planes which leave each day for Auckland. The larger orchards in Central Otago possess" cool storage facilities for fruit and growers can hold tlieir produce ready for qvick transport by air to the northem niarkets. These growers consider the time is already overdue for the introduction of a direct air freight service from Central Otago for the feeder service to connect with freightcarrying aircraft leaving Taieri.