THE FRUIT INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 79, 27 December 1917, Page 8

THE FRUIT INDUSTRY

HOW THE DISTRIBUTING COMPANIES WOIIK. The establishment of big. fruit distributing companies in Hawke's Bay, Nelson, . Canterbury, and Otago iu 11 movement that ia likely to senuro to. the grower a satisfactory return for hiß labours. Years ago, before such companies were established, growers were In the habit of send-' ing all their fruit to tho big towns to be sold on consignment, and had necessarily to take the chance ot the market. This plan did not work out bo badly wheu the market, .was well regulated, but there were times when a glut occurred, and the fruit had to be sacrificed, and then the orchardist might not even get back the amount of the freight and cartage, leaving aside anything for the fruit and the case it was packed in. ' The fruit distribution companies buy outright from the orchardist—by the crop in tho winter or early spring—and then; having every retailer In the country on their books, they are able to place tho fruit just where It is wanted, and never wheru such fruit is in full supply already. In the case of stone fruit, which perishes so quickly, tho task of regulating the market has never been an easy one, but! with every fruit company providing ample cold storage those difficulties will be lessened, if they do not altogether disappear. In the majority of cases the shareholders of the companies are the orchardists thmselves, so that tho idea of eliminating the risk of an open market and getting into direct touch with the retailer is, in this case, the happiestform of co-operatjon.