APPLE EXPORTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 August 1938, Page 3

APPLE EXPORTS

REVIEW BY FRUIT BOARD MANAGER. SEASON SOMEWHAT BETTER THAN WAS EXPECTED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, August 4. A mid-season review of the export apple season, prepared by the London Manager of the New Zealand Fruit Board on July 7. was presented to the Fruit Exporters’ conference. The season had been remarkable for many surprises and disappointments, the review stated, but in general it could be said that the result in toto was a much better season than was forecasted and expected. At the time when the first shipments arrived, the enormous crop of apples which America produced last season and the consequent flooding of all European markets, had resulted in a lengthy period of glut prices and a colossal carry-over of stocks. The official figures showed that in March stocks of apples in store from the United States and Canada were ten million boxes greater than at the same time last year, and that notwithstanding the fact that the American Government bought up some three to five million cases for free distribution for relief purposes and for by-products manufacture. The position on the Continent was not so good. There was no doubt that a heavy' quantity of American apples dumped in various countries helped to accentuate, difficulties in placing business satisfactorily. This was particularly noticeable in the case of Denmark, which suddenly opened her market at the end of May, after a complete embargo for several years. The advantage, so far as Australia and New Zealand were . concerned, was heavily discounted by the unlimited supplies of American winesaps available at knock-out prices. The following could be taken as approximate figures for Continental countries, apart from Norway, Sweden and Finland: — Denmark, 10,000 cases; Germany, 67,000 cases; Switzerland, 51,000 cases; France, 41,000 cases; Holland, 24,000 cases; Belgium, 7,000 cases; Austria. 11,000 cases; Czechoslovakia, 14,000 cases; total, 225,000 cases. The average price would compare favourably with that in the United Kingdom, but, apart from that aspect, it was particularly important to find markets for the quantities likely to be available in excess of United Kingdom quotas, so that the Continental position had an important aspect quite apart from the price factor.