E—3o

Small sizes in general have been very difficult to sell, and their low market realizations have resulted in a reduction in the variety pool averages, with consequent unfairness to the growers of better sizes. Growers appeared to take full advantage of the tolerances allowed in Commercial and Minimum Grades, with the result that much of the fruit in these grades was affected, with black-spot and was altogether most unattractive to buyers. It is difficult to estimate the quantity of apples and pears which go outside thescheme but, if recent figures supplied by the Department of Agriculture are taken, the total would be approximately 750,000 cases for the 1948 season. This quantity represents over 20 per cent, of the total production of apples and pears, and is made up of" fruit distributed direct to the consumer, retailer, or factory. Details of the yearly receipts from growers are given in Table 1. Distribution The Department continued the normal selling policy and endeavoured to effect equitable distribution over town and country areas. With the resumption of full-scale export, 999,000 cases of apples and 22,000 cases of pears were shipped to the United Kingdom, leaving 1,596,000 cases of apples and 303,000 cases of pears for the domestic market.

The following table gives comparative domestic market quantities since 1940 :

Direct selling to hospitals, Armed Forces, railway refreshment-rooms, and a limited number of retailers has been continued, the total quantity sold through these avenues* being 120,000 to 30th September, compared with 121,000 for the 1946 season and 102,000for 1947. Distribution of apples to school-children, inaugurated in 1941, was discontinued this year. The Department had to endeavour to obtain an average market return approximately 4s. per case higher than in 1947 in order to give growers a return comparable with that received in 1947. The increased ceilings were not authorized until the middle of January, with the result that the season opened at 6£d. per pound retail and then on 12th January, jumped to 9d. per pound, and sales began to slacken. The problem was accentuated by theheavy crop of stone-fruits. It has been a difficult task to maintain the required increase mainly because of thelarge quantity of small-sized fruit and the low quality of Commercial and Minimum Grades, although, as will be seen in Table 3, the result achieved—namely, an estimated increase of 3s. s*76d.—is a meritorious one. Table 2 shows how fruit has been distributed over the past eight years.

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— Apples. Peara. Total. 1940 1,664,900 167,600 1,832,500 1941 2,297,000 347,800 2,644,800 1942 1,923,700 183,400 2,107,100 1943 2,025,700 235,400 2,261,100 1944 2,201,300 269,700 2,471,000 1945 1,860,100 275,800 2,135,900 1946 2,087,400 182,000 2,269,400 1947 1,333,100 207,200 1,540,300 1948 (estimated) .. 1,596,000 303,000 1,899,000