THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1436, 10 May 1912, Page 8

THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

OUT-OF-DATE MARKETING METHODS

The mothods of marketing fruit in New Zealand are out-of-date, according to Mr. Boucher, Assistant Director of Orchards to the Agricultural Department. In the course of an address bciore- the Tauranga "Fruit Growers' Association. Mr. Boucher remarked, that although fruit had been .selling at low, wholesale prices during Ihe season,, yet apples and pears had been retailed at 2d. and 3d. each, a. price which was prohibitive for the consumers. He had seen first-class Nelson peaches sold -in Wellington, at 2s. per case, and retailed at 2d. each. Bread, milk, meat, etc., were ordered in shops and delivered to the houses of the consumers, but if people wanted fruit they had to buy it in the shops of the Te'tailers and take it homo in a paper tag. His opinion was that they could sell ten times the quantity of lriiit if the growers organised and sold their products on a better system. At the present time the agents in the various towns sold Iho fruit one against another. He suggested the adoption of the Californian system of marketing, and mentioned that a single Co-operative Association, with headquarters in Los Angeles, controlled the distribution of the whole citrus crop raised in the' orchards of Southern California. Further, irr.it was often placed on the market in an unripe condition, and such action did not tend- to encourage- people to buy it. He had actually bought fruit this season, and because it was not.ripe was forced to throw it away. From September, 1010, to September, 1911, New Zealand had sent away .£3(1,000, principally for apples and pears, and they ought not to be importing fruit, because there.was plenty ot room for the expansion of the industry, i Many gfoivers had the impression, said 31r. Tioucher, that fruit would not keep in cool chambers, but that was erroneous. They had. two excellent cool stores in Auckland, and if the fruit did not keep it was mainly due to the rough handling in gathering it... If defective fruit were sent to the cool'chambers it would come out defective. The Department had forwarded fruit from the South of New Zealand to the Auckland cool stores, and it ,liad been taken out in perfect condition. ' Sir, Boucher, advised growers' to grade and pack for the local market the same as they would for export, so as to gain experience, in whit was an important branch. The Export Trade. Two buyers had arrived from : America this 'season to-pufchase fruit for-export, and they laid special .stress on the need lor ezpert-grading and packing. The cost of paper for wrapping apples was a little over one penny per case, and th-3 packing of fruit for the local trade the same as •fop export' would prevent the fruit from getting bruised. There was a large demand this season for apples for export, said Mr. Boucher, •a'nd therei we're 'now two' American buyers in the country who each required 20,000 cases of apples. One had secured some fruit in Nelson, and was now in Auckland. It was hoped to send away 1000 cases bv the s.s. Rimut-aka; the price being 6s. (id. per case of -101b. f.o.b. port of departure. In the'early part of the season tho Department received an order for 20,000 cases of apples. . Wires were sent to various districts, asking what supplies were available. The replies came back that ,little or no fruit could be supplied, but in one district alone 10,000 cases of apples could havo been supplied, and the sale of such a quantity for export would have had a beneficial effect on the local market. The growers should organise, so that by combination' they could supply such orders as those referred to. It should not bo forgotten that planting was going, on. In' One district in Nelson 200,000 apple trees had been planted last season, and in tho same district, it, was considered that a simitar number would also be planted this year. To obtain the best results, growers should federate, and by that means secure information in regard to the production of every district. This would prevent gluts and enable prices to be regulated and would bring tho producer into closer touch with tho consumer. i The- best varieties of apples for export were Cox's Orange Pippin,, Jonathan, Stnrmer, Jfiniro's Favourite, Cleopatra, Delicious, Scarlet Nonpareil, and Scarlet Pearmain. Tho best canning peaches were: Golden Queen, Wager, Jhiir, and possibly James's Seedling. Kalamazo was also a good canning peach, but showed a tint of red at the pit.