Manawatu Evening Standard. THURSDAY, JAN. 20, 1938. TRADE IN FRUIT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 44, 20 January 1938, Page 8

Manawatu Evening Standard. THURSDAY, JAN. 20, 1938. TRADE IN FRUIT.

Expectations of a highly successful season for the export of the Dominion’s fruit are held by the Export Control Board, who anticipate that a particularly heavy trade will be secured in both apples and pears. Despite the fact that the Dominion is a party to an agreement embracing Canada, Nova Scotia, Australia and South Africa to take effective steps to avoid gluts by controlled export, prospects are that a valuable trade syill accrue. ■ Great Britain has always constituted the most important market for Empire produce and in this respect continues to absorb the bulk of our apples, a million and a half cases having been' allocated to New Zealand, as compared with three and three-quarter millions to Australia, the European Continent significantly providing the next most extensive market, followed by Scandinavia and Canada and the West Indies. It is apparent that the trade agreement with Germany has created new interest, and a large proportion of the shipments to Europe will find their destination in these markets. Canada, however, is likely to absorb very much less as a result of heavy crops in her own orchards and of repercussions of the trade treaty between the United States and Britain. No mention of the United States market itself is made by the Control Board in its announcement of export quantities, and it is apparent that it is to remain closed to Dominion fruit. It is interesting to learn, in this connection, that South Africa is commencing what appears to be a promising trade in deciduous fruit with that country, difficulties leading to an almost total ban of such qxports having been overcome. The American regulations are extremely strict in preventing the admission of the Mediterranean fruit fly—a factor that has loomed large in New Zealand’s discussions with Australia—but, success having been obtained in killing the fly and its embryo by refrigeration, the United States has agreed to admit shipments again with prospects of a trade running into thousands of pounds being established.

Refrigeration has been recognised as the mainstay of New Zealand’s primary produce trade, the extremely high degree of success obtained, and the maintenance of a fast direct steamer service with the Old Country, having ensured the arrival of our fruit in most satisfactory condition—albeit efforts have not been relaxed to achieve complete satisfaction. In the Dominion itself commendable care is exercised by orchardists to produce fruit consistent with the high quality which has already won a

splendid reputation overseas, and it is expected that in the present season the losses by frost in Otago will be more than balanced by fine crops in the Hawke’s Bay and Nelson areas. A great impetus was afforded the findustry in Nelson when it was realised, several years ago, _ that large tracts of land previously regarded as useless were eminently suited for growing fruit, particularly apples, and a large proportion of this year’s crop will originate from that district. The majority of our orchards are comparatively small, the Dominion average being only 2.2 acres, those up to five acres representing ninety per cent, of the total number and thirty-seven per cent, of the total area. It ’is tin industry from which the benefits derived circulate widely, and the prospects of a successful season are, in the circumstances, particularly satisfactory, affording recompense to growers for the losses suffered by weather and in other directions.