MENACE OF FRUIT FLY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 172, 7 August 1937, Page 3

MENACE OF FRUIT FLY

m Our Own Correspbndent.)

Unrestricted Citrus Imports from Austraiia GROWERS' CONCERN

(Froi

WELLINGTON, This Bay. The unrestricted importation of Australian citrus fruits, involving the risk of inr.roduction of the destructive fruit ily, was viewed with considerable alarm by an officer of the Department of Horlfruitgrowers ' Pederation in Wellington yesterday. It was eonsidered that reeent heavy importations of oranges had seriously afEected the local market for pip fruit. An assurance was given t'y on officer of the Department of Horticulture that a rigid inspection was being carried out and that the risk of in: ection in the future would be ' lesy tfcan it had been in the past. The matter was brought before the eonferonce by the following remit from Hawke's Bay: "That, in conneetion swith the persistont efforts being made to allow Australian citrus fruit into New Zealand, the Horticultural Division be urged to see that adequate protcction from the fruit fly is assured," The remit was carried- unanimously, and in addition the following resolution was also passed: "That the matter of importation of Australian oranges be brought before the Direetor of Internal Marketing to placo before the Government the fact'that such importation is having disastrous eifects on our local markets and if importation is allowed without .stringent restrietions it is certain that large quantities of New Zealand apples and pears will be unsaleable and will have to be dosiroyed." "In Hawke's Bay we are very much di&turbed at the unrestricted importation of citrus fruits from Austraiia," said Mr R. Paynter in moving the remit. "We have every sympathy with tonsumers, but our industry has to be saieguarded. There is a reql danger of the 'fruit fly being brought here. In New South Wales it has been a menaco not only to pip fruit but to the stone fruit also. There is also the Oriental peach fly, which is a danger. The position requires very eareful watching. * "Position is Alarmlng" "The position is alarming," said Mr A. Pope, of Canterbury, in secondng the remit. - Information that 1 have i'rom friends iu the tableland of New South Wales shows that the position is much more serious than it is bplieved to be here. At an altitude of over 3000 feet above sea-level, and despite xrosts in October as heavy as 20 degrpes, the apples there are riddled with ihe fly. Once it got a hold here it would spell ruin to the whole industry in New Zealand. "Fruit fly is all over Austraiia," said Mr W. A. Tate, of Wairarapa. ' ' The Australians have agitated to get their oranges over here, and they havo succeeded to our destriment. Half of the information that we have been reeeiving from Austraiia can be taken with a pinch of salt. "If these repoits are true.the posilion is very disturbing, and it is time that the conference took a serious view of it," said Mr Ballantyne- "I have acen the ravages of fruit fly, and 1 say that we can't be too alert in having a stop put to the unrestricted imporlation of Australian citrus fruit." "The position in respect of the importation cf horticultural produce is bcmg watched very carefully indecd," said Mr W. K. Dallas. "The depart-i-.'ont is gomg very carefully into it with a view to reducing the possibilities of the introduction of disease. In a short tme, it can bo taken, the opportunity of the disease breaking out will be lessened. Fruit is bemg accepted only from areas which are cortifled as clean and which are a considera! le distauce from infected areas. On nuportation, all fruit is subject to a rigid inspection. No-oue wishes to see any more diseases' introduced, and it lius to bo rculised that thoy add grc-atly to the cost of production. « rau givo my assurance that both the ('epartnicnt and the Government are i'uJjy alive io the position and thai in Ute- luture there will bc less opportunily for the introduction of disease 'hnn • n the past." I Effect on N.Z. Industry Mr J. Dicker (Nelson) said thai. it iieavy importation of citrus fruit were e.'iowed to continue lliey wouid have a serious elfect on the fruit industry. "I disagree with that view," said Rlr A. Forsyth, also of Nelson. "1 have ulvays bclicved thut people muat

have a balanced ration of fruit. The pr-oper thing for us lo do is to cultivate a tasto for our fruit and so look after our industry." Mr L. E. Bobinson, of Nelson, pqinted out that a great amount of propaganda on the worth of oranges as a food had appeared in the Press. The industry could assist itself a good deal by propaganda pointing out that the apple was more valuable than the orange. The remit and resolution stated above were then carried.