FRUIT CONTROL

Hokitika Guardian, 27 March 1928, Page 4

FRUIT CONTROL

HAMPERINO GROWERB. MARKETING DJIT-TCU KITES. (Taxpayer). When the Fruit Control Board wa established under the legislation o 1 1921 it was assumed hy a very larg proportion ol the growers that the t still would lie at liberty to dispose c t tlieir produce according to their ovv v opportunities and judgment. Th i. Otago growers—more “canny, ’’ it nia i be assumed, than a majority of tli ~ other growers—made assurance dould s sure hv taking advantage of a elans . in the Act which enabled them by i majority of 70 per cent to vote then ( . selves out of the operation of tl: n measure. 11l every other district th Board exercises absolute control ovt - every bushel of fruit exported froi . the Dominion, just as the Daii - Board exercised absolute control ovt . out of the country until the ri t every pound of butter and cheese set ;l volt of the producers last year. Thei I is a movement on foot just now i d the Tasman (Nelson) district. hov r! ever, for the removal, or, at an n rate, the modification til this arb u truly restriction, and a petition pn if settled to the Board and to the Alii e ister of Agriculture, bearing the si* e natures of exporters of over 150,(X h cases- of fruit from this district sun •- ly must hear weight with the author r ties. c TURNING DOWN BUYERS, r The signatories to the petit in t complain that under the existing coil pulsory system they are not on e compelled to accept the risks of il t market months abend, hut also ai ■. deprived of the recurring opportiui y ties that come their way to mail free-on-board sales, which ofte I would he greatly to tlieir advaiiLagi e The Board will not allow 1'.0.b. sale v no matter what the offered price nia i be. with the result that, buyers o n these terms, of whom there are o considerable number each year, mil: !- turn either to Otago or to Australi s for their supplies. It is estimate that over a million cases of appl. i- have been sold on a i’.o.b. basis h l- the Australian States this season an il is reasonable to assume that ; '. least a third ol this business wool i- have come to New Zealand hut for th h restrictions placed upon the grower: s These restrictions upon the marko: r ing of the growers’ produce are mad n till the more irksome by the fact tlm li they were not imposed until vein II after the pioneers in the industry 1m r invested tlieir capital and tlieir htl our in their holdings with the In n assurance of a free hand and an ope s market. t A PIONEER'S EXPERIENCE. * A pioneer, who opened up the Tits t man district some seventeen yem a ago, and has done much (o earn to e it the reputation of being the fori y most apple growing area in the Di e minion, declares that he would no 1 have planted a single tree nor spoil > a single shilling in the place had b . anticipated that in the years to com lie would he tied hand and foot b t a Control Board. Initiative, indm t try, ambition, enterprise, even sell ,• respect, he. states, are hampered b meddlesome officialism, which is re spon.-ihle for many of the trouble I besetting the orchardists at the pie i sent time. Rocenfly the Tasman grow I its were ofi'ered Ss per case for 10,(X) i cases of third grade apples 1’.0.b I either at Nelson or Wellington. Th Coni nil Board would not. however allow them to accept the oiler thougl : it would have involved it in no re i spoiisibilily or risk and would havi , given t he- glowers a not re! urn of 1 , till a case, a figure they are iu:l at ai . likely to obtain under any other a r , rangenient. This is a fair example o. ihe oollcy hy which the Board i: stiil'ling enterprise on the part of tin growers and imperilling the stability of their industry. SPOON FEEDING. Perhaps it will ho doing the Board no injustice to say. that it is reiving upon the Government’s guarantee he. coming a permanent contribution to the fruit industry. Its policy and administration suggest this to he the case. Last season, when the London market took a favourable turn for the growers, the Minister of Agriculture accompanied his congratulations with an intimation that the fruit industry had reached a stage in its development at which it should stand on its own feet, lie was quite resolved upon this point—for a week or two. Then he was persuaded to grant a somewhat smaller guarantee than that of the previous year and a month or two later he added a further shilling, just by way of lucli, it would seem. At the time these guarantees were given the prospects of the approaching season appeared to he favourable, and the Hon. 0. J. Ha "ken doubtless counted upon London prices putting him right again. But the outlook to-day is not nearly so favourable as it was then. Tt was reported Unit there had been a light crop in America, hut it is now known lliaf the States will have a large exportable balance and the Home and Dominion supplies will constitute a record. CONTROLLED AND UNCONTROLLED. In these circumstances it surely is had business on the part of the Board to prevent ten thousand cases of third grade apple being shipped out of tile country at a price that would return the growers 4s fid a case. These apples do not, of course, participate in the subsidy, whether they are shipped away or remain in the Dominion, and in the latter event they will make a much smaller return to the grower than the sum assured by the outside buyer. Held, perforce, for the local trade a large proportion of them will pass into the auction rooms where they may realise as little as a penny a pound. Long before the Board came into existence New Zealand apples had established their reputation on the London market, selling at hotter prices than did any other importer fruit, and that the institution of control has not enhanced their popularity may he judged by the fact that while uncontrolled apples from Otago last year averaged 18s 3d a case on the open market, controlled apples from the rest of tile Dominion averaged only 16s a case. Surely in view of facts of this kind the Board should he giving attention to the representations of experienced growers and business men who have been co-oper-ating for years in an effort to maintain the industry on a sound basis. |