FRUIT INDUSTRY

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20953, 4 November 1939, Page 10

FRUIT INDUSTRY

r.~::;TER’s proposals REJECTION BY GROWERS ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTED (By Telegraph.—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Friday Members of the New Zealand Fruit Export Control Board have been in conference for three days with the directors of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation, during which period they had frequent contact with the Minister of Marketing, the Hon. W. Nash, but the Minister and the conference failed to reach agreement on Government assistance to the industry. Fruit Grower’s Statement The fruitgrowers, in a prepared statement, assert that, while the war has completely upset the economics of the primary industries, the prejudicial effect, especially in regard to meat and wool, is infinitesimal as compared with the problem which faces the fruit industry. “Through no fault of either the New Zealand Government or the fruitgrower,” the statement continues, “the fruitgrower must visualise giving up his valuable market overseas in favour of other sections of primary industries, necessitating the marketing within New Zealand of double the normal capacity of the markets or the elimination of sufficient of the crop to bring supplies within reasonable range of the demand. The fruitgrower is emphatic that the problem is a national one, and that the full burden of these emergency conditions should not fall upon the shoulders of the fruitgrower. He frankly recognises that any question of profits must be placed in the background, but he does claim equal rights with his employee to an equal standard of living after honourably meetmg his production debts. “The Minister has suggested that a producers’ organisation be created, associated with which would be representatives from interested Government departments, this organisation to be given statutory powers for the sale of fruit on the local market, the Government to assist by purchasing approximately a third of the crop at 6s 9d f.0.b., the growers’ organisation to be responsible for the collection and storage of that fruit until called upon by the Government to deliver it, either to overseas ship or as otherwise directed. Offer Not Accepted “This offer was not accepted, but the conference suggested an alternative which was unacceptable to the Minister. He was not prepared to take over the fruit at the assembly point, nor was he prepared to accede to the industry’s request to increase the Government purchase to 1 500,000 cases, but he was prepared to increase the f.o.b. price from 6s 9d tO “As an alternative to the Minister’s proposal, the growers’ organisations have again requested that the Minister take full marketing control of all apples and pears and guarantee to the producer his cost of production plus a reasonable standard of living, or alternatively grant to a producers’ organisation, with which Government officials would be associated, the statutory powers necessary for organising the local market, and through this producers organisation guarantee to the grower a minimum return of 5s a case at the assembly point. We now await the Minister’s reply.”