Fiji Tomatoes

Badly Affected by Blight

Disappointing Shipments

To Sydney

CHINESE growers in Fiji have turned their attention to the cultivation of tomatoes for export to Australia and New Zealand.

The first two shipments, comprising 5,155 boxes, arrived in Sydney during the month by the Moeraki and Ven tura, but their condition on being opened up was disappointing.

The Moeraki loading of 3,155 boxes was the better and realised from 6/6 to 7/6 per box. Only about 20 per cent, of them were unfit for sale through blight.

However, the other and more re cent shipment by the Ventura, of 2,000 boxes, will prove a severe loss to the growers, practically every case being affected by the blight. Evidently, the tomatoes were quite sound when they left Fiji, and as they passed Customs inspection in Sydney the blight could not have reached a virulent form by the time of their arrival. A rot then quickly developed, and only about 25 per cent, were saleable at poor prices, ranging from 3/- to 5/-.

A representative of The Pacific Islands Monthly examined some of the tomatoes at the Sydney Markets. They were of a good uniform size and on the verge of ripening, but nearly all were affected by blight. In fact, out of 25 boxes it would have been diffi cult to fill one box with sound tomatoes. Some were so far gone that they would not stand being picked up without breaking and squashing. Curi ously enough, some Queensland to matoes just arrived at the markets were similarly affected, but not to such an extent.

It is hard to account for the pres ence of the blight. It is thought it may be due to a fungus in the soil.

Samples have been shipped back to Fiji in formalin, to let growers see their condition.

It is to be hoped that something can be done to overcome the trouble.

Tomato growing in the Colony has great possibilities, especially as climatic conditions will allow of crops being ready for shipment when markets in the Commonwealth have to depend on local hothouse varieties.

Freight, handling charges and duty per box to Sydney amount to about 2/3, so somewhere in the vicinity of 7/- would have to be obtained to allow for a satisfactory margin of profit.