FRUIT=GROWING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1605, 23 November 1912, Page 2

FRUIT=GROWING.

ITS PROSPECTS IN NEW ZEALAND. AUSTRALIAN RIVALRY. MARKETS, PROSPECTS, AND SETTLEMENT. Interesting facts bearing upon the development of the fruit-groiving 'industry in New Zealand and Australia were laid before a Dominion reporter yesterday by Mr. A. M'Kee, president of tho Tosman Fruitgrowers' Association, who has just returned from Australia where he represented tho New Zealand Federation of Fruitgrowers at an inter-Stato conference. Mr. M'Kee's broad impression, strengthened by his late visit to Australia, is that tho growing of fmit is an industry which has a great future ahead of it iu New Zealand. He speaks of it as an industry in which men of small capital can readily embark and ono in which, by reason of her natural advantages of soil, climate, and position in relation to markets, NewZealand has no reason to fear the competition of commercial rivals. There is no doubt, in Mr. M'Kee's opinion, that the fruit-growing industry is going to bo a big thing for New Zealand. "Though the State has done comparatively little to push the industry," he remarked, "the industry has dono a good deal to push itself. During the last four years somo extensive planting has been done in New Zealand—more than in anv part of Australia during tho same period. Much has been done in the Nelson province on land that previously was considered of little value even for pastoral purposes. _ Tho oponing of the Tasman district m the Nelson province has given a great impetus to tho industry and during tho past two years in that new country, close on 300,000 fruit trees have been Pjantcd. That is the biggest development of the industry that has ever taken place ■in Now Zealand in a given time. 'IS-ees that were planted four or fivo years ago are coming rapidly into bearing very year now and not many years hence Nelson will be as busy an. exporting oentre as Hobart is to-day." A Statistical Comparison. Going on to compare the extent of fruit cultivation in Australia and in New Zealancl, Mr. M'Kee quoted tho following table, which shows in different years the area under fruit in the different States of tho Commonwealth:— I I ! ° § s I § s g I MgfeioAl&lilUijfe: g £ £ - fe £ " & .6 £> t | s ® 2 5 S g «• o ? u • to o -J O, S 8 5 S3 .S g £ g g fs 5! S S> „ " g . JP J! a M M w i?. On CI CO CJ M M 2] OS StSS • £ S s £ s s s g M J W 1. 2 § I, I i 1 § Ip : j? to £2 § 55 M M W M M t> CO .W 05 ' t)i ' S' Sa ® w otn a to © wca cJ/w? 3 M M M M M M tt>. , F « 3" « M M to' <1 Ci o>2 < ■8 I 1 i § I g I g li b 1 S S s £ O JJ v U ro j* K S & g g g g y gy B. The New Zealand figures are: 1908, 28,551 3 31;834 Mrts: 1911 ' 33 - 95 i acres; m*. Js,Bbi; increase in four years, 7413 .acres. On the basis of population, New Zealand has barely, SO acres, of, fr«it, -per ; thousand of population, while Victoria l ac . r&Sj , Australia 55 acres, U estern Australia GO acres, and Tasmania' L?, c . re ?, P e r thousand of popiilation. • , ,3 F * Mr- M'lCee, ' will be rather interesting-to the people who talk'about the industry being over done in New Zealand. As a matter of fact, given a better sratem of distribution and cool storage to extend the season, we would.be producing' at present no more than enough . to meet local requirements. Victoria, South Australia, West-. Australia, and Tasmania, on the other hand, havo reached a stage when an outlet must be found. ■ New Zealand's bill for imported fruit and fruit products in 1911-12 was no less than .£441,378, an increase of £90,000 over the previous year. Muoh of this expenditure is for bananas and citrous fruits,_ but probably nearly half the amount is for pip and stone fruits, fresh and dried, which can be grown here; In my opinion, the development of the apple-growing industry m New Zealand during recent years, and particularly in the Nelson district, is fully justified. Wo have in a marked degree all the conditions essential to the prosecution of tho industry. Our conditions can.oortainly.not be excelled, and in my opinion cannot be equalled, in Australia. We have the requisite perfect combination of soil and climate. In tho favoured parte of the Dominion we havo no trouble with late fronts wWch in some parts of Australia decimate the orchards. We also escape tho violent hailstorms which do a great deal of damage in Australian orchards, and tho small bird nuisance does not attain the sn.me magnitude hero as in the Commonwealth. There aro places in Victoria where starlings and blackbirds descend in clouds on the orchards when the crops are ripening. Out. splendid rainfall does awa.v with the need for irrigation, whereas on practically all the Australian fruit-growing areas irrigation is necessary." The American Market. "A good deal has been made of the fact that Westralia's comparative proximity to the London market gives it a big hold on that market," said Mr. M'Kee. "West Australia may havo a slight advantage in that respect, but New Zealand has an immeasurably greater advantage in its proximity to North and South Amerioa. For several years South Amerioa will absorb all the apples we can spare, and the opening of the Panama Canal will greatly facilitate approach to the North American market. It is the opinion of big growers that the canal will give access to perhaps tho bost market in the world. The Americans are great fruit-eaters, and their production of fruit during the last ten years has diminished enormously. There is no doubt that the States are going to exploit Australasia for trade purposes, and one rwult will be that plenty of. cargospace will bo available for tho carriage of fruit to America at moderate rates. We oaii trade with America even in face of the present duty on fruit, and that may possibly be reduced. We can supply America with fruit in their off-season, so that we can get in 'there on a bare market." Victoria—Our Rival. "Victoria," Mr. M'Kee went on to rein ark, "is making a bold bid for supremacy in tho fruit export trade. Tasmania now leads, but Victoria is rapidly gaining. The Victorian Government has dono a good deal to help the industry. At present a-Royal Commission is sitting to d"Viso the best means of helping it on. They have found what wo are finding here—that to prevent gluts on the market, which happen practically every season here, and to prolong the s?ason it is necessary to provide cold storage. In Victoria . the Government has built five stores, with a capacity of 100,000 cases. Growers also have put up stores-to accommodate 100,000 cases, and "at present stores are being built, in preparation for the coming'season, which will take. in round numbers, another 100,000 cases. In spite of this extensive nmv's-'m) for extending the season. Californinn finits are beimr sold in Melbourne in fairlv considerable quantities. Last week 15,000 cases of Californian fruit were discharged in Sydney. There are no cold stores there. Sydney is very m.uch behind." Tn a few years. Mr. M'lCee predicted, New Zealand will te able to ship anples to' California, where, ns in other 'plnces, there is a period in the off-season when the market is bare of fruit. Room for Development. "Now Zealand is a much better country to grow fruit in than Victoria," Mr. M'lCee continued, "and there is plenty of room for development. The fruit nulustry ranks (bird in Victoria, second in South \ustralia, and first in Tasmania. In New Zealand it is muoh lower down the list* nf industries, evnn wheti account it> tAketi .pf tim large gu&ntafcies of fruit grown for.

tlio local market. Compared with these States, Now Zealand is a long way behind, Apart from providing cold etorago, tho Victorian Government is at prcflont completing extensive cold stores by the ship's side in Melbourne. This will mark an important doparture in the oversea carriage of fruit. Statistics covering u period of years havo been compiled, dealing with each shipment, and showing temperature at wliicli the fruit was carried, condition ou arrival, price realised, etc. It has been decided that, to ensure successful transport'. (1) Apples and pears must bo and their tcmperaturo brought down to' freezing-point; (2) the fruit must bo carried at a lower temperature than, hitherto (31 to 31 degrees, instead of 116 to 41 degrees). These new wliarf-stores will have a capacity for about 250,000 oases. The erection of tlicso storos," Mr. H'Keo remarked, "will mean that fruit will be carried just as easily and safely as frozen meat, butter, or anything else. As the pre-cooling process will reduce the work of shipping companies, it is expected that they will reduce their charge of 2s. lOd. por oaso—tho freight now charged from victoria to London. Tho industry in Now Zealand is rather handicapped by reason of high freights, and no doubt, as larger shipments offer, the companies will seo their way to bring the charges into conformity with tho rates levied] in Australia. At presont tho freight per ease from New Zealand to London is 3s. Id. per case. . Need for Cold Storag6. • "There is no doubt," said Mr.. M'Kee, "that tho industry is hampered in New Zealand for_ want of cold storage. The accommodation 'availablo at present, including a store for 10,000 cases to be opened in the Nelson district this season, will only cover about 20,000 cases. There are no Government Stores here. It would bo a, groat help to growers if the season were prolonged, and gluts obviated, and the only ■ way to accomplish that end is to take -fruit off the market in the flush of the season. Instead of the Government building and running tho stores, as is done in Victoria, my suggestion is that tho Government should advance a. portion of tho capital required at a low rate of interest, by way of mortgage, and allow the growers to manage the stores themselves oji co-operative lines. The need for cold storage is one of the big lessons of my trip, and if it is provided it will help the country immensely. "In Australia, as well as in New Zealand, they are beginning to realise that while fruit-growing is an industry marketing is a business, and co-operative associations in. which an energetic secretary and a willing committee do the work of the many as a labour of love,-have been found unworkable. It has been found that votes of thanks are not a sufficiently substantial' recompense for the labour of those who • work for the benefit of the many. The question of distribution and marketing is now being tackled in Australia as well as in New Zealand. Registered companies are being formed by the growers to handle the fruit locally and for export. The ideal to aim at is the provision of a ceaitral packing shed where the fruit'will be packed ana marketed on their behalf on co-operative lines. Uniform .packing and grading will be the aim of these companies. The fruit that comes in from California is an object lesson. 'Being well graded and packed it commands a "higher prjee than fruit that has been "slung into the cases." West Australia has tackled this subject in a very business-like Way. . The growers ■there appointed a capable mail to manage the industry at a salary of .£6OO a year with the sliding scale of increase in proportion to the results achieved. The result has been highly satisfactory. The growers are obtaining decidedly better returns as a result of the business-like organisation of their industry. A 'South American Opening. ' "It would be a good thing for New Zealand fruit-growers," said Mr. M'liee, I "to concentrate in their export, trad© on South America. We are only .19 days' steam from Monto Video, and no cool storage is required for this trade. The apples can be carried as ordinary cargo. I Last year we shipped some 7000 cases to South America,.while Tasmania sent dose pon 100,000 cases. If wo had had the fruit we had orders for .70,000 criseslast year for South America. At one part of the Beason the price offered was 6s. per case f.0.b., a splendid price. For next season Tasmania has secured space with the New Zealand Shipping Company and Shaw, Savill Company for 270,000 cases, practically all the space available. This virtually shuts out NewZealand from the South American trade. Before my doparture I ascertained that New Zealand had secured space for 80,000 cases. Tasmania catches these boats at Hobart on the trip out, which means that the apples have to be transhipped at Wellington. Therefore, as our season is a week or two earlier than the Tasmanian season, and as we have no transhipping to do, we are in a' very favourable position for the South American market, It is unfortunate that, through a misunderstanding on the part of the shipping companies as to New Zealand requirements, we could not secure all the space for next season that is wanted. .This, I understand, will pot occur again if the growers give the shipping companies reasonable notice of their requirements." In the Tasman District, Describing what had been done in the Tasman district (Nelson) Mr. H'Keo said that it was situated on the coastline between Nelson and Motueka. It had a loamy soil with a friable clay subsoil— the perfect soil for fruit-growing. The land was clothed in manuka,/'and was almost inaccessible. Owing to its inaccessibility, the people of llotueka had practically never seen this part of tho country. This was the position a little over two years ago. Visiting tho district at that time, Mr. M'Kee had the soU analysed, and found that it was admirably adapted for fruit-growing. After careful inquiries ho took up 2600 acres of land in what he considered the best part of the country. Part of this area was subdivided, and was readily taken up by settlers and planted with fruit-trees. The balance of the land was sold to a company, and they also subdivided. Most of tho area taken up in this way has also been planted. A number of the settlers are commercial men engaged in business in Wellington, Christchurch, Sydney, and other places. Mr. F. E. Nowtage, formerly a Government instructor in Hawke's Bay, was appointed as supervisor and orchard manager. On behalf of the absent settlers, he employs the labour required to clear and plant the land and tend the orchards : until the trees come into bearing, charging a small fee for tho work of supervision. Tho Government are constructing an arterial road through the district, and for a distance of about nine miles along the length of the road orchards have been planted during tho last two years. In some cases men of small capital have taken up areas, and ' whilo waiting for their trees to come into bearing they obtain work in the district at Bs. a day.