NEW ZEALAND JAMS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 160, 2 April 1921, Page 9

NEW ZEALAND JAMS

TRADE OPENING ON PACIFIC SLOPE A NEGLECTED OPPORTUNITY New Zealand and Australian jams are much superior to those manufactured in California, and arc recognised as such,” remarked a New Zealander who has just returned from a two years’ sojourn in the States, to conversation with a Dominion reporter yesterday. ‘They are,” he added, "much sought aftsr.by jam-eaters in California, but tho New Zealand brands arc hard to obtain. A Californian fruit-broker made inquiries in the Dominion with the object of placing an order for 14,000 cases for early delivery, but all lie could rake up was one lot of 490 cases. The moral is obvious—New Zealand is not making the most of trade openings on the Pacific The foregoing remarks were brought under the notice of an officer of the Agricultural Department, who pom-ed out that the peopte in' the Western States of America were not great jam-eaters. Nevertheless.there were sufficiently large numbers of jam consumers in the Best to make the export of jams from both New Zealand and Australia a profitable trade. Just now there was an obstacle in the way of New Zealand manufacturers in the shape of the temporaryembargo placed on the export of jam from the Dominion. This measure was put into force on account of the recent sugar shortage in the Dominion, and as far as ho knew it had not yet been revoked. Once it his prohibition was removed lie saw no reason why arrangements could not be entered into with a view to c®'-ab-lishing an export trade in New Zealand jams. , . The Californians did not, he added, go in for jam making on any appreciable scale. The Westerners' were terribly frightened of appendicitis, and were inclined to fight shy of anything with seeds in it. They would eat jellies ad lib, however. This prejudice was gradually being broken down. Recognising this fact, the Jones Jam Manufacturing Company of Tasmania —with branches established throughout Australia —was making a big bid for the Californian market, and had gone to the length of carrying the war into the enemy’s camp and establishing branch works in Caifornia.