64 Empire" and " Foreign" fruit exposed for sale, by exhibiting on the fruit tickets indicating whether they are of "Empire" or Foreign" origin. 88. In the case of dried fruit sold in cartons, we recommend that the name of the country of origin shall be printed on the carton in a manner similar to that which we recommended for canned goods in our First Report, where we proposed that all canned goods should, at the time of importation into the United Kingdom, bear embossed on the end of the tin the name of the country of origin. We further recommend that when dried fruit is packed into cartons in the United Kingdom the words "Empire or" Foreign" should also be boldly printed on the carton. Where the dried fruit is imported in cartons the name of the country of origin should be on the carton at the time of importation. Where the dried fruit is packed in cartons in the United Kingdom the responsibility for seeing that the name of the country of origin is on the carton should lie with the individual or company who breaks the bulk of the original supply and repacks the fruit into the cartons. When these cartons are exposed for sale in the retailer's shop it will be necessary for the retailer to exhibit, in addition to the name of the country of origin on the carton, the usual label indicating that they are of Empire or Foreign" origin. 66 XIX. Advertisement. 89. A convincing example of the efficacy of advertisement of dried fruits has been given by the sales of" Sun-Maid " Fruit. The fruit has been represented to us as being quite definitely inferior in quality to Empire fruit, to sultanas from Smyrna, and to raisins from Spain. The large sales which have been made must, therefore, be attributed solely to salesmanship and to advertising. There is some doubt whether sales have yet been large enough to repay the cost of advertising, but the fact remains that sales of dried fruits can be increased by this means. Moreover, the Dominions have a better article to advertise. As Empire dried fruits are now on the United Kingdom market throughout the year, we feel confident in recommending the inclusion of such dried fruits in the general advertising campaign, which we propose in our main Report. So far, little advertising of Empire dried fruit has been attempted. In the autumn of 1925 the London Agency of the Commonwealth Dried Fruit Board undertook a limited but intensive Press campaign to popularise the idea of an Empire Christmas pudding, and distributed a large quantity of pamphlets, showcards, recipe books, and other advertising material. We are informed that this campaign. aroused widespread interest. 90. No general advertising has been undertaken on behalf of Spanish or Turkish dried fruit. Before the war some advertising was undertaken by the Greek Government to encourage the consumption of currants in the United Kingdom. Recently the Greek Government has resumed advertising in Trade Journals in the United Kingdom, and has distributed handbooks drawing attention to the methods of preparation of Greek currants, the country in which they are grown, and their nutritive value. XX. Research. 91. The research problems of the dried fruit industry differ, as might be expected, from those of the fresh fruit industry. 92. The first set of problems is connected with production. As we have stated, the Empire producer has to face large competing supplies, some produced by very cheap labour and others the overspill of a huge protected home market. He can cope with these only by the utmost economy in efficient production and by quality, which in the vineyard requires the finest vines and the maximum yield per acre. Research in Australia is already directed to these ends, but we would recommend the Governments of Australia and South Africa to encourage the development of sustained and systematic research into the problems of production. 93. The other set of problems is connected with preservation. One important problem arises through the presence of grubs in boxes of dried fruits when opened up on arrival in the United Kingdom. This is a defect which dried fruit from all sources. may suffer, but its incidence is heightened by a long voyage through the tropics. We are told that in California fruit is fumigated before despatch to remedy this trouble. Fumigation after arrival in the United Kingdom has been found to destroy the grubs without in any way affecting the quality of the fruit. Further research is, however, required on this problem, and we would commend this question to the Executive Commission. To this body we would also commend the problem of the prevention of the sugaring of raisins. 94. In view of the regulations issued by the Ministry of Health as to the quantity of sulphur to be allowed in raisins after 1st January, 1927, and of the preference which the United Kingdom trade manifests for light coloured sultanas (quite irrespective of the intrinsic quality) we would commend to the attention of the Executive Commission the necessity of research into methods whereby a light coloured fruit can be placed on the market without the use of sulphur. Signed on the authority of the Imperial Economic Committee. H. J. MACKINDER (Chairman). DRIED TREE FRUIT REPORT. PART II. TREE FRUITS. I. Dried Tree Fruit Production. 1. Dried tree fruits, such as apricots, peaches, pears, plums. and apples, are produced in most of those parts of the world which have a warm, temperate climate and which do not experience heavy summer rains. Apricots and plums (prunes) have been dried for many centuries in Kashmir and Afghanistan and other parts of Central Asia, and also in the countries of Southern Europe. The supplies produced in these countries are chiefly for local consumption, although in the case of Kashmir and Central Asia there has always been a considerable trade through the passes into India. Organised production of these dried fruits on a large scale began in California about 50 years ago, with the result that this State has become by far the chief world source of supply of prunes, dried apricots, peaches and pears. Production on a commercial scale began much later in Australia and South Africa, chiefly in the Murray Valley in the former Dominion, and the Cape Province in the latter. 2. Figs are produced in the Levant and Central Asia, but production for export is almost entirely limited to the districts in the neighbourhood of Smyrna in Asiatic Turkey. In California fig production has become a fairly important adjunct to the fruit industry of the State, but in contra-distinction to the other dried fruits, in which California supplies practically the whole of the United States consumption, considerable quantities of figs are still imported. The production of figs is Australia and South Africa is still in the initial stages and by no means meets the local demand. 3. Dates have been for centuries the staple food of desert tribes in Western Asia and Northern Africa, and are the production. of a desert type of country. The chief commercial source of dates is Iraq, although large quantities are grown in Northern Africa. II. Sources of United Kingdom Supplies. 4. The main dried tree fruits imported into the United Kingdom appear under four separate headings in the United Kingdom Trade Statistics. The actual headings are: (i) Plums, prunes and prunelloes, dried or otherwise preserved without sugar, liable to duty. (The main items are plums, prunes and dried apricots.) (ii) Fruit not liable to duty, dried, unenumerated. (The main items are dried apples, pears, peaches, and nectarines.) (iii) Figs and fig cake. (iv) Dried dates. To avoid the repetition of these headings throughout this Report we propose, for the sake of convenience, to refer to the various categories of dried tree fruits under the following heads : (a) Preserved Plums, Prunes, and Dried Apricots. (d) Dates. 5. The bulk of the dried plums (including greengages and damsons), prunes, and apricots imported into the United Kingdom in 1924 was produced, as the following table shows, in foreign countries. The United States alone sent no less than four-fifths of the total supply. Of Empire-producing countries South Africa alone sent any quantity, but even in that case it was less than 1 per cent. 6. In 1924 the United Kingdom derived its supplies of dried apples, pears, peaches, and nectarines, like those of plums, prunes, and apricots, from foreign countries. Again, the United States supplied much the largest part of the total consumption. Germany, which sent slightly less than 8 per cent., was the only other foreign producer of importance. Of Empire countries Canada was the chief contributor, sending 5 per cent.-mainly dried apples, followed by Australia with 2 per cent.-mainly dried pears and peaches. |