FRUIT-MARKETING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1501, 25 July 1912, Page 8

FRUIT-MARKETING.

HINTS FROM AN EXPERT. Somo interesting hints on the matter of marketing fruit are given iu the Agricultural Department's "Journal" by Jlr. W. A. liouclier. Jlr. Boucher says that in view of the.largo and steady increase ill tho planting of orchard hinds it is most important that growers should seriously consider the methods of marketing so • that all suilablo fruit that may be pro-duced-will find a ready and profitable sale. During tho currant season there have been many complaints that fruit lias been sacrificed at prices that lett r.o margin of profit to the grower, and also that on this account much good fruit lias been allowed to rot upon the ground. While this has been the ease the consumer has received no great benefit. .The averago retail prices have not been materially reduced; in fact, although fruit lias beeat allowed to rot upon the ground beeauso it was feared that profitable returns to the' grower would not be realised, retail values often remain so high that .fruit could only be: considered au expensive luxury, auid not a necessarj article of daily diet. There can be no doubt 'that a much larger quantity of fruit than is now..grown coulu be readily consumed if there were a smaller margin of -difference between the price paid to the grower and that paid by. the conDuring the current, season, in one of our principal markets,. peaches of excellent quality, well graded, and'well packed, were sold at auction at 2s. per case, and afterwards retailed, at.2d. each. It is to be hoped that a Nov/ Zealand federation, of 'fruitgrowers, the question of-the formation of which has bo en. discussed at conferences held at Wellington, ■ Hastings, and Motueka, will be. established at an early date, and, as a united body " representing the . fruitgrowers throughout the Dominion, seriously deal 'with the question'of bringing the grower in closer touch with the consumer, so that the consumption of locally-grown fruit may be' increased to their mutual advan'tage. While dealing with the question of marketing, it may be as well to call the attention of growers to the fact that a proportion of the fruit crop in somo districts is gathered and marketed in an . unnecessarily green,-and unripe condition, ■For. instance, . Cox's- Orange Pippins, re::cognised.as one of our best dessert varieties,' wore quite recently o-n sale in the fruit shops in Wellington. They had been gathered 111 such an immature condition .as to be of no. better quality for dessert than any ordinary ccoking variety. Instances of this might be multiplied considerably. It .is obvious that this will not assist to increase the demand for fruit.