COMPETITION NOT FEARED

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 310, 24 September 1921, Page 10

COMPETITION NOT FEARED

DOMINION'S APPLE TRADE - HANDICAP OF HIGH FREIGHTS RETURN OF GOVERNMENT EXPERT The possibilities ahead of New Zealand’s export trade in apples were refer* red to by Mr. G. Stratford, orchard instructor to the Agricultural Department, in the course of an interview with a Dominion reporter. Mr. Stratford has just returned from an extended visit to England, where he was retained by the Department to report upon the shipments of fruit arriving from the Dominion between March 14, 1921, and July 23, 1921. Mr. Stratford said that the demand for New Zealand apples was very good, and the Old Country was quite open to take all that the Dominion was capable of sending for a good number of years yet. He found that the New Zealand fruit was being well received on the London market —for that matter, on the whole of the markets in England on which it was placed. It had a good name in the trade, and wherever he went he found it highly spoken of and keenly sought after. "The quantities sent up to the present have, however, been so small,” he continued, "that the individuality of the New Zealand apple has boon largely lost, and only those who are around the district where it is sold get the benefit of Elie fruit. While in England I received many inquiries as to where New Zealand apples could be obtained. Such people as the Royal Horticultural Society have been suggesting means of remedying the difficulty, and they recommend the establishment, of a chain of depots, where New Zealand fruit could be bought at retail prices and in smaller quantities than by buying by the case.” Question of Competition.

Referring to the question of competition, Air. Stratford remarked: "The New Zealand fruit compares favourably on all points with that received 1 from any other part of the -world, and much wetter than some. There is no fear that we will not hold our own with our apple trade with England. lam quite confident that the prices realised for our Fruit will bo as good as those realised by any other country, but it can hardly be expected that the high prices netted by our good' fruit this last season can be expected to be maintained.. This is owing to the. fact that prices and wages ’ are coming down in England to such an extent that fruit prices must go down correspondingly. In a word, we need not be afraid of our fruit trade, provided that the high freights now existing are reduced in conformity .with the reduction that is taking place in the purchasing power of the consumers. All attempts to reduce freights in regard to butter and cheese up to the present have been, without success, and unless something is done in the matter with regard to fruit, growers will have little to look forward Ao. I understand that the question is to bo gone into before next season. If a reduction does not take place it will kill our fruit export trade.” Referring to another matter, Mr. Stratford said that the New Zealand fruit was now mostly arriving in London in good condition, but there were certain drawbacks. Fortunately these , were all remediable, and as a result of the information he had secured at the other end —combined with experiments undertaken at this end —there was little doubt of New Zealand's ability to land its fruit in good condition in the Old Country in the future. Advice To Growers. English fruit merchants generally can be relied upon to play the "straight game” with New Zealand fruit, and to provide the best possible returns to growers at this end. Continuing, he said that the Australian and Tasmanian seasons competed with the New- Zealand season, but the Dominion growers had nothing to fear from either of these two countries, despite- the fact that their export trade was older established. For one reason England was in a position to absorb all the apples that all three countries were likely to export for a long time to come. It was, however, up to New Zealand exporters to pick and grade their fruit according to definite standards. If ’ this was done no doubt much of our fruit would in future be sold, as quite a quantity of American stuff was marketed —on the grade mark or brand. Questioned about pears, Mr. Stratford said that unfortunately last season’s shipments of pears from New Zealand were not a success. Only some of tho varieties landed in fairly good condition, and something more would have to 'be done relative to pears before Dominion growers could expect to land this fruit in London in the best of condition, although from experience gained it did not appear to lie impossible. | While in London Mr. Stratford ijfiw an exhibition of Australian fruit at Australia House. The display attracted the attention of thousands of vistiors, and lieing on a very comprehensive scale it did much to advertise Australian fruit. Similar exhibitions of New Zealand fruit would, if arranged for, no doubt greatly advertise the Dominion and do much to develop trade with the Old Country. It was to be honed that such an exhibition of New Zealand fruit might be arranged during the coming season.

Arrangements have been made by the Horticultural Division of the. Agricultural’ ’’apartment for Mr. Stratford to visit various New Zealand districts—particularly those interested in the export of fruit—with a view to addressing meetings of fruitgrowers and giving them the 'benefit of his experience abroad.