Fruit-Canning Industry

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1071, 8 September 1930, Page 8

Fruit-Canning Industry

FACTORY FOR HENDERSON THE fruit industry in the Auckland district, one not exploited to its full advantage, is promised a decided fillip in the proposal to establish a canning factory at Henderson. In the project are prospects of another profitable manufacturing industry which should result in a marked decrease in the importation of canned foodstuffs and the elimination of the huge waste which at present faces the fruitgrower.

The Auckland fruit-grower does not enjoy the many advantages of his friend in the South, where the canning industry has become well established. The move to establish a factory at Henderson, one of the more flourishing fruit-growing districts, is a timely one, and the announcement made recently awakened wide interest among Auckland growers. It is claimed that the concern will accept all grades and varieties of fruits to be canned or manufactured into the great range of by-products offering. Already arrangements have been made to acquire the services of Mr. R. Dailey, a New Zealander who has had considerable experience abroad in connection with the canning industry and who was for four years manager to a large Australian factory. PROTECTION AFFORDED

This new industry is also coming to Auckland at a time when it will be afforded the protection of the recently raised duties on imported goods, but apart from this, those concerned in the Henderson venture do not hesitate in their claim that no difficulty will arise in producing a commodity to compete with the imported product. There is an everincreasing market in New Zealand for canned foods, while there is held to be still room for another competitor on the markets abroad. The site for the factory is on the main highway facing the Henderson railway station, and is admirably placed for the arrangement of easy transport. Building operations are expected to be commenced some time this month and from what can be gathered from the growers interested, it is intended to specialise in the pulping of apples, tomatoes and other fruits, which grow extensively in that district, and also to manufacture jams and jellies, etc. A non-alcholic eider-ette. which can be produced from apple peelings, will also be considered, while with extreme wastes, such as cores, seeds, etc., it is intended to make poultry and pig foods. In recent years. America has built up a large and

profltable industry on these lines, and the slogan "waste nothing” has certainly been a revenue producer. The scope of the factory’s activities will by no means be limited, and even in the off season there is no apparent reason why the works should be idle and hands put off. Attention will then be centred on the canning of chicken soups, peas, beans and other foodstuffs which are at present imported on a large scale from America. STAGE OF PERFECTION More enterprise has been shown in other parts of the world, especially in Australia and the United States, in the promotion of the canning business, but with the exception of a few places in New Zealand such as in the South Island, little has been done to investigate and build up the industry which, according to experts, does not necessitate any undue risks in promotion. The canning of fruits has also reached a stage of perfection which is not overlooked by the housewife who does not hesitate to seek any labour-saving devices offering. To many the peeling and preparing of fruits for cooking is quite a thing of the past and the use of canned fruit is certainly increasing. In recent years there has been an annual import of fruits (fresh and dried) amounting to nearly £700,000 annually, and a large portion of these imports has been from America. The New Zealand Government has, at various times, set itself out to render assistance to the orchardist. This has been done by the Agricultural Department in supplying information on fruit-growing generally and as to the most up-to-date methods to adopt for the control of diseases and insect pests, etc., but little attention has been given to the building up of an industry in canned fruits. In round figures, there are 2,000 orchards farmed for commercial purposes in Auckland, and there are 4,000 acres in the North of Auckland which would also come within the range of the proposed Henderson scheme.