Fruit Industry

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 169, 4 August 1937, Page 7

Fruit Industry

— Presa Assooiation.)

EXPORT BOARD AND FEDERAHON Large Assemblage for Annuai Conference REV1EW OF CONDIHQNS

(By Tetegraph-

WELLINGTON, This Day.. Represeatatives of fruitgrowers in all ' parts of the Pominion assembled at vVellington yetsterday for the annuai ! conference of the Ne\y Zealand Eruit i Oontrol Board, to be followed to-day | by that of the Nenr Zealand EruitI growers* Eedoration, Ltd. The eonferj ences wero opened jointly by the Minister of Agriculture, Hon, W. Lee Martin. "We claixn that the fruit indu-stry is one that justihes the considera.tioii and assistance of the Government," said Mr H. E. ' Stephens, ehairnaan of the Fruit Export Control Board, in bis opening remarks. "At present the idea of almost all eountries is to eneourage closer settlement, with dncrcased primary production, and the fru.it industry, which js ideal for closer settlement, is, therefore, of great importanee to the Dominion. ' ' The average size. of a fruit orcbavd was 10 or 11 acres, on which wero supported the grower, his wife aud family, and employees. The Go,vernmcnt, the speaker believed, recognisod the value of the industry in providing employment and in producing an articlc essential to the health of the community. Although there mlglit be differenees in points of view, growers believed that the Government was earnestly endeavouring tp put the industry on a better footing, and they were awaiting a statement as tQ its intentions. for the. stabilisation of markets. They believed that the promise made by the Brime Minister, when he said that the Government wonld see that the industry was put in a positiqn fo pay the wages asked and return the grower a reasonable living, would be kept. That was all the industry asked — a reasanabl" living wage. Govepain^nt'a Syxnpathy. After reviewing some of the problems of the industry, the Minister of Agriculture said that no doubt the Government would coxne in for some measure of criticism at the conference. It had been said that it was not mqving fast enough, but it wanted to be eure of its ground iirst. The Government had the interests pf the industry at heart and was prepared tq demonsirate in a practical form its desire to piace it on a much sounder ecOnomic basis, but it was obvi.Qus fhat no scheme or reprgaiisation could be snccessful wdtheut ihe eupport of growers. The Minister expressed confldenco that the industry would be ably supcrvised by the Director of Internal Marketing Mr F. R. Pieot. Mr T. C. Brash, president ef the federation, appeale'd to growers to turn thg ggarchlight on themselves and see that they were _ conducting their orchgrds as effieiently as possible, and, at the conference, to eonsider the good of the industry as a whole before their individual interests. Minister 's Review. A brief review of the pagt season in the industry was given by the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. W. Leg Martin, in his opening address, As the result of unfavourable weather, there wgs a inarked reduction ih the quality of fruit exported during the 1937 season he said, Tbe total quantity shipped overspas amonnted to 944,753 cases (90|2,337 cases of apples and 42,416 cases of pgars), the smallegt export in any oue year sipce, 192J, The Goyernmcnt guaranteed tq the growgr a e.i.f, return of 10/6 a, case for varietigs of apples and pears pagkgd in accordance with the requifements of the export regulations fpr shipment to approved markets. Rgports indicated that the prices realised for thg earliey shipments were fairly siatlsfactqry, but later in the ggason the xeturns fell away. However, toward the end of the season the markdt made an unexpeGted and apprgciable recovery and credit was due'to the fruit board for placing a quantity of fruit in cool storage at a time when prices were distressingly low. How the board marketed all the supplies coming forward immediately, the down trend of priees might have been accentuated, but, as a result of tha board's foresight, growers were reaping the benefit of an improved market. Ineidentally this policy had relieved to some extent the call qn the guaranteed prico. The citrus industry gpntinued tq make satisfactory progress, especially in thg Hoyth Auckland, Auckland and Tauranga distriets. The total area now planted was approximately 2000 acres, including 1400 acres in lemons and 60Q acres in oranges. "It is gratifying to note," said the Minister, that there has been a steady improvement iq the general standard of prchard management, and that growers are realising the great ad.vantaggs of producing crops of good fruit

at a madium cost. I do. not think I c-rn lay too much emphasis on the necessity for the highest standards "of q-oality in all phases of production. This is the. slogan of our c.qmpetitqrs, and we must at least keep abreast with them if we are going to maintain our place on the avaiiable markets. These - standards cannot be maintained for long without efficient management and efficient management is imperativg if we ar£ to achleve a reasonable margin between costs and priees. In order f.n meet the higher cost of labour and materials, the Government is subsidising growers in cases where the average market return for fruit is bglow the assessed fair returns. ''