[?]rials of Cl
p. 67 · Read in the full issue
[?]Nkist And
Windblown
[?]rials of Cl citrus Growers
HE difficulties inherent in pro - moting the flow of perishable produce some 1,800 miles from » Cooks to New Zealand were flighted in mid-March when the \ui Pomare arrived at Rarotonga ; break the hurricane season lernation and uplift the first kings of a healthy citrus crop. ’or some weeks past, the fruit on 1-loaded trees had been ripening bout access to a market and it \ good to see the old “Pom-pom” w up again, disgorge welcome *es and mail and make ready for le 6,000 cases of citrus from ■otonga, and 1,000 plus from both itaki and Mangaia. It was about normal initial picking. icking, packing and loading is I organised in Rarotonga and k Islanders respond with a will such concentrated bursts of munal activity. But Nature has bursts of activity, too. [)tices in the local news-sheet ;d growers to pick only well ured fruit, thus unwittingly •avatmg the embarrassments i were to follow.
Fresh northerlies developing, Rarotonga roadstead became unten able and the Maui pulled out, languishing in the lee of the island for four days and waiting for a break as oranges, mandarins, lemons, and grapefruit displayed an increasing and blatant maturity.
But most of the fruit packed was finally loaded and away went the “Pom-pom” at her full seven knots, bursting with fast ripening citrus.
Final outcome unknown as yet.
This was a bad break for Mr.
Baker, local Director of Agriculture, just back to realities from furlough in the West Indies, where citrus is big business. They have their troubles there, too, Mr. Baker says, mostly entomological. But no ship ping headaches, as the juice is ex tracted on location, and canned for distant markets.
Future prospects for Cl citrus are promising, however, Nature permit ting, as she generally does. To sup plement the busy little Maui’s monthly visits, Union Company’s refrigerated Navua will make calls in April and May and should uplift some 20,000 cases each time.
Meanwhile, a solid start has been made on the foundations of Raro tonga’s cool store, designed to offset this problem of ripe fruit and slow ships. Refrigerated ships of Cook Islands size are hard to come by and cost the odd million to build.
Some say that fast surface carriage
to New Zealand would obviate the need for refrigeration. Mr. Baker says no; cool storage and refrig erated carriage are essential to the full utilisation of the planned citrus output.
As a hard-headed Yorkshireman who has handled an orange or two,
he should know.
G.R.