FRUIT EXPORT.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1926, Page 4

FRUIT EXPORT.

AMERICAN COMPETITION

WELLINGTON, July 20,

“Tlie market for New Zealand fruit has suffered very much from two factors,” paid Mr 11. E. Napier, secretary io tho Fruit Control Board to-day “Tho iirst was the general strike, and the second American exports of apples to Britain. Buyers at Home are still afraid 1 to purchase because they don’t know when they will get thc-ir supplies. Under the old condition these used to reach them in four to eight hours. With the disorganisation of the railway service, which lil.is conic about as the result of labour troubles, they arc taking four or five days.. “The competition of American fruit is ii matter which is less generally known in New Zealand. The American exporting season is Ironi the end of August to April, and now is even reaching into May. They used to leave us three months of the year free, but new are cutting this down to a little more than two. This they are doing by dint of improvements in tlicir refigeration system, which have enabled them gradually to extend their operations. t

“The American fruit crop is stated to he about 202,800,000 bushels, and of lhi:; about 8 per cent, is exported to Great Britain. Now that steadier exchanges in Continental countries have opened the way for American produce, this fruit is shipped on consignment, anil sold at ruling market rates, thus coming into competition with home-grown fruit, and at the same time helping to maintain the price level in the United States. It really doesn’t matter to the Americans at what price that 8 per c-ent is sold, though it. matters a great deal to Nova Scotia, for instance, which sends 7.1 per cent of its crop to Great Britain, and thus obviously lias portion of its population dependant on export for a living.”