THE FRUIT INDUSTRY
PRIME MINISTER .OPTIMISTIC. Tho rapid progress of the fruitgrowing industry in New Zealand was mentioned by tho Prime Minister when ho recently addressed tho Board of' Agriculture as a matter in connection with which the people of this country had reason to express a very or satisfaction. "To show what Is being done," h&-remarked,' "I will give the exports for the last three years. For the year 1912 the export of fruit was 14,869 cases; for the year 1913 it has more than doubled—it was 33,000; and for tho year 1914—and, by the way, wo have not got to the end of tho export of-fruit so far as 1914 is coucernod, because there : is r , still quite a considerable quantity of apples in store —but for that year .it", has again doubled, and more than doubled—it amounts to 85,000 cases. Tho .area under fruit up to the present date is 41,4-46 acres, and thousands of acres are being prepared for planting with fruit-trees during the coming season. 1 made a prophecy a littlo ■ before this timo last year that -the" export of' the year that is drawing towards an end would bo approximtaely twenty-five millions. I will make another prophecy with regard to the exportl.of fruit: that within five years from now we shall be exporting from the Dominion very little snort of a million cases'of apples. It is a big thing, I know, to expect, but havilig seen what is taking place in tho fruit districts of Nelson, where the whole of the Moutero Hills,'w'hich only two or three years, ago as, unimproved land were not worth more than £1 »n acre, are ninv worth: £20 an acre, and haying seen the tremendous demand for'fruitgrowing land, in Central OtagOj I feel that 1 am justified in iny anticipation. The. difficulty in Central Otago, I know, is want of water, and you cannot grow fruit without Swater, but water I have lio doubt will be provided. Tliere is a difficulty, t6o, .arising from the fact that largo blocks of land have been let for pastoral purposes, and not a great deal caii be done until those leases fall in. But theso are two districts where fruit-growing is -going ahead by leaps and bounds. 1 have seen the same thing in a lesser "degree" on the east coast of the Auckland district And north of Auckland, therefore everything we can do' 'to ' encourage _ fruit-gro-*irig along with our other, industries we should do. As far as I can ascertain, there is an unlimited market for fruit, especially in the large centres on the easi coast of South America. As a matter of fact, we had agents over here last season offering to buy fruit several years in advance. I . think it is a matter for congratulation that an industry from which so little was expected ten years ago is now doing so well, not only for those engaged in it, but also for the country as a whole."
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Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2189, 30 June 1914, Page 10
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499THE FRUIT INDUSTRY Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2189, 30 June 1914, Page 10
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