FRUIT FLY DANGER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 July 1938, Page 3

FRUIT FLY DANGER

AND FRUIT FROM AUSTRALIA. N.Z. GROWERS REQUEST. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) PALMERSTON NORTH, July 19. A remit, “That the importation of fruits from Australia be prohibited where it is found that New /Zealand growers can meet the demand,” was whole-heartedly supported by members at the annual conference of fruitgrowers of the Wellington province held at Palmerston North. It was contended by Mr W. A. Tate, Greytown, that the Internal Marketing Department, or whoever was responsible for bringing in oranges from Australia, had let the New Zealand industry down badly. Mr Tate read extracts from a letter he had received from a grower at Glen Innes, New South Wales. “Despite the cyclone in late spring,” the letter stated, “we had a very large crop of apples on our trees. A few were hail-marked and quite a number were struck by the villainous fruit fly, especially the Delicious, because of its softness compared with the Grannies. We sold our apples to a man who sorted out those infected with fruit-fly, which were boiled down and f-,d to cows, horses and animals. New Zealand should bar our fruit altogether, for fear of importing the fly, the very king of fruit pests. No way of dealing with it has yet been discovered.” Mr Day, Wanganui: Is the- fruit coming from there? . Mr Tate: Yes. A delegate said auctioneers had told him oranges had been procured from New South Wales. Mr Tate: They say that in Certain parts of Australia there is no fruit-fly, but we have left the door right-open. Mr J. A. Campbell, Director of Horticulture: At present importation is being restricted to areas where there is no fruit-fly and a margin is allowed to be on the safe side. Mr Tate: They told us that about other pests.