THE FRUIT POSITION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 206, 20 May 1918, Page 8

THE FRUIT POSITION

IMPORTANT ASPECTS

CAN THE PRICE PROBLEM BE

SOLVED ?

One of our agricultural induslrWs to iV oh tlle Wllr ,las ma(lt> considerable dmcrenco is apple-growing. Before Hie ships became scarce our export trade whs growing rapidly, but in mis ,i decrease was noticeable, and by 1917 "nil" was reached. Tlio figures arc:— Year. Cases exported. 1903 i.iis 1009 191 imo 5,017 1911 6.031 1012 ll,8(i!) 1913 SM.OOO . Mil ...a 67,96-4 ' IMS (12,181 1916 19,216 1917 Nil. The cutting off of tho export trade means, of course, that largo quantities of additional apples are being put on tho local market. The export iu 1911 was just on 68,000 eases. That quantity and moro ismow available for local tonsumption, in addition to the quantity (hat formerly was being consumed locally. Tlii! reason why it can be said that the additional quantity is moro than the 68,000 cases exported i'li 13U is that large areas of apple orchard aro all tliß while coming into bearing. This latter quantity is aa ever-increasing one.

Tho question has arisen as to whether tho New Zealand public is getting (ha full benefit of the additional fruit now available. It seems that inoro fruit is going into the shops and the auctions, and also that it is a little cheaper than previously. ' But high authorities hold:

(1) That tho public is not getting r.9 much fruit as it should be getting.

(2) That fruit is not as. cheap as it slyild be. i'or one thing not all tho fruit is put to good use. A considerable quantity has been destroyed, and some has rotted. If it could have been got to Hie people it would havo been better that it should have been given away. As to the price which tho public pays, a grower said to a Dominion represwitative: "If you offer'mo a penny a pound for all the apples iu my orchard you can have them."

How is it, then, that we pay sixpence per. lb. iu the shop for locally-growu apples? An authority who has studied the problem from all points of view says that a good system of distribution would solvo the difficulties. He says that the shopkeepers arc Belling at too high, a figure for the public to buy fruit as a iood. It is bought now chiefly as a luxury. Vew people can afford sixpence for about, four apples. He does not say.that tho shopkeepers are wrongfully selling at a price too high for the people,.but argues that if valuable food liko apples cuuuot bo got by the over-the-counter method cheaper than to-day's rates, some better method of reaching the people should be looked for. A system of direct distribution has been tried, but tho extent :.f its success or failure is not generally known. He insists, howover, that by a good system of household delivery apples should be nvnilable to the public at tlu-ee-penco or fourpu'uee per lb., instead of about sixpence per lb. lo the lay mind it will probably stem that. there is something wrong when fruit is being retailed at sixpence and a grower says he will sell at one penny.