GUARANTEED PRICE FOR FRUIT

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 153, 24 March 1939, Page 11

GUARANTEED PRICE FOR FRUIT

G o vernment’s Offer

INDUSTRY’S ATTITUDE

By Telegraph—-Press Association. NELSON, March 22. The Government has agreed to assist the fruit industry by taking over all fruit produced at a guaranteed price on condition that the New Zealand Fruit-growers’ Federation and the Export Control Board, as representative of the whole industry, ask the Government to bring the proposal into operation. That statement was made today by Mr. J. Dicker, chairman of the Nelson Fruit Advisory Committee, and vice-president of the New Zealand Fruit-growers’ Federation.

The Government claimed that the guaranteed price would take the place of an'd would be equivalent to the present export guarantee and the subsidy paid on locally-marketed fruit, he said. Following the offer made by the Government the controlling organizations of the iutlustry took steps to ascertain the opinion of the growers and the Fruit-growers’ Federation Board adopted a resolution accepting the Government offer of a guaranteed price. Mr. Dicker said the federation’s 'decision was based on the decisions of growers’ meetings in the Auckland, Marlborough, Nelson, Hawke's Bay and Otago areas. Canterbury also had the matter under consideration but had withheld decision pending receipt of further particulars. However,' the opinion of the other districts was definite enough for the federation to make a decision. The Export Fruit Control Board had not yet come to a decision on the matter.

Though the Government refused to renew the subsidy on locally-marketed fruit this year it agreed to renew the guarantee of 11/- a case on export fruit this season, said Mr. Dicker. The position in regard to the local subsidy was that an advance payment of 9d. a case had been made on fruit received up to the end of last Jpne, the payout being about £20,000. The subsidy was paid according to the difference between the Dominion average price a case and 5/2. The amount yet to be paid to growers under the subsidy for sales of last year’s fruit was estimated at about £BO,OOO, but that figure would depend on an analysis of the prices when all account sales were available. However, the Minister of Finance had advised that the balance of the subsidy would probably be paid to the growers at the end of this month. It appeared probable that the total payout under the subsidy would be about £lOO,OOO. t NEXT YEAR’S CROP

Minister Confirms Offer The report from Nelson that the Government was prepared to introduce the guaranteed price procedure for fruit if such a request were made by the industry was confirmed last evening by the Minister of Marketing, Mr. Nash. The Government’s offer, he said, had been made in respect of next season’s crop. OFFER LIKELY TO BE ACCEPTED Control Board Member’s Comment Dominion Special Service. HASTINGS, March 23. ■Commenting on a report from Nelson that the Government had agreed to assist the fruit industry by taking over all fruit produced at a guaranteed price on condition that the New Zealand Fruit-growers’ Federation and the Export Control Board, as representatives of the Industry, ask the Government to ■bring the proposal into operation, Mr. D. S. McLeod, one of the Hawke’s Bay members of the control board, said today that it appeared most likely that the offer would 'be accepted by the industry. At the last meeting of the board, said Mr. McLeod, the majority of members appeared to favour the move, though no decision was reached. However, the Government’s offer was to be the main issue before the next meeting, in a fortnight, and he could see no reason which might have caused members to change their views in the meantime. Mr. McLeod recalled a meeting of Hawke’s Bay fruit-growers held on September 17 at which it was decided to ask the Government to take over and organize the industry both for local and export fruit; a resolution to this effect was carried almost unanimously, there being only a few voices

in opposition. This was also endorsed at a meeting of the combined committees of the Hawke’s Bay Advisory Board and th.e Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers’ Association on li'eforuary 17. “Some Are Going to Get Hurt.” The chairman of the control board, Mr. Stephens, has had an assurance from the Minister of Marketing, Mr. Nash, that prices would be fixed on the same principle as that established in arriving at the dairy guarantee, continued. Mr. McLeod. “Control board members have also been given to understand that the Internal Marketing Division has the basis of a scheme which it intends to put Into operation. There is no doubt that: some are going to get hurt in the process, but it won’t be the producers or the consumers." ■When two Hawke’s Bay representatives on the control board, Messrs. R. Paynter and McLeod, attend the meeting on April 5, they will be there with a mandate from the growers, and.. will therefore have to abide by the decision of the Hawke’s Bay meeting of September 17.