MARKETING OF TOMATOES.

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 21, 17 October 1929, Page 3

MARKETING OF TOMATOES.

STANDARDISATION URGED

"Urging th.at the marketing of tomatoes in the Hutt Valley should be standardised by the gTOwers, Mr. W. Hyde, Government Horticulturist, addressed growers at Knox Church Bcbool-room, Lower Hutt on October 9. on. the subject of "Marketing". Mr. William Copping presided.

At the outset,- Mr Hyde-~remaTked that the tomato industry had a great future in New Zealand. At ' present the growers were facing many difficulties, which, (however, were all in the way of business, and close attention vras demanded by these problems.

''There is a great danger of dropping into a Tule-of-thunib' system of marketing," said the lecturer. VFor one thing, the demand is. constantly changing. Some products have done well for a period, but have then fallen' off in public demand merely because the suppliers did not keep their methods up to date. Conditions are ever changing, and growers must be continually wide awake to keep pace with the numerous developments in the industry. I have met many marketers who have been disappointed in the past season, which, im many respects, has been a variable one. Too often when things go wrong the growers have wasted money on revolutionary schemes, instead of improving and eliminating the defects of tfce old system. In what way can we, as growers, improve the present system of marketing?" asked Mir. Hyde. "A great deal can be done, particularly in regard to the standardisation of packs. Some growers will have to sacrifice •fcbeir pet ideas and practices, but I feel' swre that we have arrived at the time wkea this is absolutely necessary. Consider tke packs of tomatoes as t-hey appear in the market. They aTe all of different sizes, marks, descriptions. Tfcey are different in maturity , and quality ._ There is bad fruit with the g*od. The trouble with the whole tfciag is that the fruit is averaged betweea the good and the bad. Some growers hold the view that so long as they put the beat produce on the market they will get the best price. The theory of the survival of the fittest, tumwer, is a fallacy in this industry— it simply does not work out- T«b.e man wfco puts out tie good pack does not always get the best price, while the grower who puts poor produce on the market generally gets much more than his tomatoes are really' worth."

Tie idea of standardisation, said Mr. Hyxie. was regarded with, some fera by nuLny people, but it must be viewed ia tie eommonsense light demanded by present-day problems, "You .must do the utmost you can to see that good fruit is put on the market, >7 he,urged. "TTypes should be narrowed down to those that are of good quality. Suit-

able types must be agreed upon by the growers—rthat is a recommendation I cannot too. strongly make. Another necessity at the present time is for uniformity in regard to descriptions of their fruit. They must come to a common understanding in t&is matter."

With, the standard packs and types said the speaker, much greater facility of marketing would be obtained, and the retail prices would compare more favourably with, the wholesale. Good types would inevitably lead to a greater consumption by, the public. The matter of marketing information, too, would have to be very thoroughly work ed out, The crop would^ &aye to be distributed according to the demand of the population, .each part of the population should be fed with a steady supply of the produce. The speaker said he feared that the present system was to alternately glut and starve the markets, as the distributing area was changed. Growers should learn that the public were not going to die mere ly because tomatoes became scarce. "While they were plentiful, and therefore cheap, there would be a good demand, but once the produce went off the market, consumers would adjust their diet accordingly^ and, as a result, some effort was. Tequired to re-establish the tomatoes in public demand.

! The lecturer suggested that a little judicious advertising would be very useful in fuTfciierin'g the market for tomatoes. v In many cases it had been found. that advertising had acquainted the public as to the availability of tie fruit, and the demand had increased accordingly. This matter, too, would requite careful consideration.

"The of the grower will have to become a diminis&dng factor," concluded Mr. Hyde. "WMle the industry was small, the individual was a very great factor in the market, but now that it has extended so widely the individuality of the grower has lost itself, and this is a fact that must be recognised by the growers.'' He snggested that sub-committees should go eaTefully into the matters that he had mentioned, and report the Tesult of their deliberations to the association.

After the lecture an opportunity was given those present to discuss the proposed Urban -Farm Lands Bill. Very little discussion took place, and the following resolution was placed before the meeting: "That this meeting agrees with the principles of the Urban Farm Lands Bill and trust you will assist your constituents, whom it affects, in assisting to place it on the Statute Book as early as possible." This was carried unanimously. The resolution is to be sent to the Member for the District, Hon. T. M. Wilford.

Mr. Hyde answered many questions, and was accorded a vote of thanks for his interesting and instructive address.