H.—3OA.

APPLE AND PEAR SECTION. At the request of fruitgrowers, the Government agreed to continue the purchase plan of apples and pears for another year. The general conditions surrounding the purchase remained approximately the same, but the overall average price was increased from 4s. lOd. for local fruit and ss. 2d. for export fruit to ss. 3d. and ss. 7d. respectively for the standard package. Crop. The following table gives the production of apples and pears according to province for both the 1940 and 1941 seasons :—

District Production.

The quantity of fruit exported in 1941 was only 4,181 cases, compared with 587,504 cases exported the previous year. The demands made upon available shipping-space in order to dispose of produce other than fruit had the effect of forcing fruit on to an already over-supplied market in New Zealand. This is shown as follows :—

Increase in New Zealand sales for 1941 : 811,774 bushel cases. This heavy increase in quantity, combined with the increase of sd. in the purchase-price, made it evident that an appreciable increase in the local market loss was unavoidable. Quality. Spring is always a time of great anxiety for fruitgrowers becausc of the hazards of late frosts, hailstorms, or floods. These destructive elements are generally felt in one district or another in varying degrees of intensity. This year the major loss arose from hailstorms in Hawke's Bay, which caused heavy damage. Mouldy cpre in Auckland, especially in the Delicious variety, was more severe than usual, and was accompanied by a heavy infection of internal codling-moth. Codling-moth was also troublesome in the crops of Hastings and Nelson. Ripe spot was prevalent in the Nelson and Canterbury districts, and losses from this cause were somewhat severe. During the storage period, fruit losses were attributable mainly to glomerella in the Auckland District and to the development of ripe-spot fungi, although, in addition, the physiological defect of internal browning was experienced in Granny Smith and Sturmer in several stores. There was 110 major breakdown due to defective storage. The grading quality of apples was slightly lower than the 1940 experience, while with pears the reverse was the case. Throughout the whole of the marketing period the Division was able to maintain its standard of quality, and much credit is due to the horticulture officers for their untiring efforts and valuable assistance. The policy of the Division is to market fruit in the best of condition, and to ensure this the Division maintains constant vigilance in inspection and supervision over all fruit in store. By this means the Division was able to minimize the loss arising from the storage diseases already mentioned, and is able to report that the total loss from all causes throughout the whole year did not exceed 2J per cent, of the crop. Although the Division's loss through storage is low, the centralization of the marketing through the one organization tends to draw undue public attention, which at times gives rise to unfavourable and unmerited criticism. Storage. The present emergency position necessitates that primary industries such as dairy-produce and meat have a prior claim 011 cool-storage space. The Division's new stores at Auckland and Hastings were not completed in time for operations during the 1941 selling season, but the small store at Nelson became available towards the end of the harvesting period. After having utilized cool-storage space to its limit, arrangements were made with growers for the temporary storage of 475,000 bushels in orchards for delayed delivery to the Division. This- had a beneficial effect in easing and spreading the peak period. Unfortunately, the granting of premiums for orchard storage led some growers to delay delivery of fruit and thus enhance their premiums. This delay caused embarrassment and loss to the Division at a time when the market should have responded to better prices. The Division has safeguarded against a repetition of this unexpected and unfortunate development.

4

Year. I Auck.and. | » | ™ | | I | Mapua. j Motueka. | Ttmaru. Otago. Total. Apples. 1940 .. 278,612 19,455 701,920 31,234 71,935 211,733 420,304,291,903 102,671 7,039 115,593 2,252,399 1941 .. 251,623 22,992 525,691 33,240 78,917 294,877 473,102 353,420 96,961 11,179 158,783 2,300,785 Total .. 530,235 42,447 1,227,611 64,474 150,852 506,610 893,406 645,323 199,632 18,218 274,376 4,553,184 Pears. 1940 .. 21,398 563 69,221 932 1,448 12,148 12,490; 19,531 11,232 1,159 17,497 167,619 1941 .. 49,324 4,403 153,395 3,483 2,202 26,119 29,769 43,747 9,808 1,702 23,732 347,684 Total.. 70,722 4,966 222,616 4,415 3,650 38,267 42,259 63,278 21,040 2,861 41,229 515,303

— <*»• j N.lt.'.t. Cases. Cases. Cases. 1940 .. .. .. 2,420,018 587,504 1,832,514 1941 .. .. .. 2,648,469 4,181 2,644,288