South Afeican Fruit on the Continent. 349 



SOUTH AFRICAN FRUIT ON THE CONTINENT. 



The Position at Rotterdam. 



Mk. K. Spilii^us, the Ihiion's Coiumissionev of Commerce at Rotter- 

 dam, lias been investi'satino' the handling' of fruit at iiis centre, and 

 in repoTting the position, states: — 



Regular aiul direct cold stoiage freight is essential for tlie 

 development of regular and direct business with the Continent. This 

 is at present not available. Th^^ Holland-South Africa Line have 

 two steamers provided with such accommodation, and there might be 

 other opportunities periodically. This means that comparatively 

 large quantities ariive at one time which cannot be promptly taken 

 up by the market. Fruit dealers who are not able to draw their 

 supplies regularly, buy more than they can quickly dispose of, and 

 therefore require a bigger margin of profit to cover the risk of loss. 

 This means higli prices rsjul consequent restriction of consumption. 

 Further, the arrival of a shipment in a hungry market means that 

 very high prices are paid at auctioii. The fruiterer pays tliese because 

 he cannot allow his neighbour to show fruit for sale which he himself 

 has not got. This often results in disappointment and loss to the 

 retailers, and when the next shipments arrive they are afraid to touch 

 South African fruit. If the fruit is sold at too low a price, the 

 farmer cannot continue to ship: if it is sold at too high a price, the 

 fruiterer loses money and takes no further interest in the trade. 



In order to work the business up, it is necessary that the risk to 

 shipper and retailer should be reduced as much as possible. The 

 .smaller the risk, the smaller the profit, and the greater the volume of 

 business. 



I must fiist of all explain how the business in South African 

 fruit is carried on here. Certain local firms receive consignments. 

 These are discharged into lighter or into wharf sheds. Sample boxes 

 are taken from the shipment to an auction room, where ihe auctioneer 

 sells the fruit on sample to the highest bidder in lots suitable to the 

 trade. 



This procedure in my opinion is bad, because once the fruit is 

 taken out of cold storage, it must lie sold, and the bids made, rig-htly 

 or wrong'ly,_ establish the value, so to say, at once, and it is difficult, 

 even if fruit is withdrawn , to get mucli more later on. But if the 

 auctioneer fixes his minimum price at, s-3y, 3 fl., he may sell nothing 

 at the sale, but he still has the chance of selling at this price later on 

 if a demand springs up. The fixing of a minimum price should not 

 be a difficult matter, as the London prices are known, and it must 

 therefore not be fixed so higdi as to make it worth while for a local 

 fruiterer to buy his requirements in London and leave the goods here 

 unsold. If fruit is sold much below London value, as it was in the 

 case of one shipment, it is not only bad for the shippers; it also 



