TOMATOES AND BULBS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 157, 31 December 1931, Page 7

TOMATOES AND BULBS

REASON FOR OMISSION (British Official Wireless.) (.Received 31st 'December, 10.45 a.m.) RUGBY, 30th December. The Minister of Agriculture, Sir .John Gilmour, has issued the firsj order imposing duties under the Horticultural Products Emergency Customs Duties Act. The order comes into force next Tuesday, and at various I dates from then on duties will be imposed on a large variety of imported fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, flowers, foliage, and rose trees. Every item in the schedule to the Act is covered by the Order, with the exception of tomatoes and flower bulbs. It is understood that tomatoes were omitted owing to a suggestion that an import duty would involve hardship to poorer people. The omission of bulbs is stated to be due to the inability at the present juncture of the British industry to supply the demands. The duties apply almost without exception to luxury produce, foreign fruits, and vegetables, which, because of climatic advantages, come in before the British crops are ready. The duties are therefore graduated according to the state of the season. As an instance, strawberries will pay a duty of 2s 6d a 1b in April and May. During the first fortnight in June the duty will be only 6d, and after 15th June nothing. Other duties are similarly for limited periods. They constitute the first duties on foodstuffs imposed by the Government.