53G Journal of the Department of Agriculture. 



EXPORT OF SOUTH AFRICAN DRIED FRUIT. 



The Regulations controlling the Trade. 



Reference was made in the April, 1921, number of the Journal to 

 the conference held at Capetown early in March last (the result of 

 a tram of circumstances arising out of the Union's export trade in 

 dried fruit, and more particularly in raisins), which lead to the 

 unanimous verdict of all concerned in the welfare of the trade that 

 the time had arrived when the export of dried fruit from the Union 

 should be subject to control similar to that exercised in respect of 

 fresh fruit. This decision was acted upon, and regulations, which 

 we publish m full below, have been issued (Government Notice No. 

 715 of 1921), providing that no dried fruit shall be exported over- 

 seas unless it conforms with certain requirements as to quality, 

 grading, packages, marks, etc., and operating from the 1st May, 

 1921. 



Perusal of these regulations will show that they are clear and 

 explicit, and explanation of the various clauses does not seem neces- 

 sary. Much time and effort were expended in framing them, so that 

 they should not l)e too cumbersome or hamper in any way the existing 

 trade in dried fruit. They were drawn up originally by the Chief, 

 Division of Horticulture, then fully discussed clause by clause at a 

 conference representative of farmers and merchants directly concerned 

 in the trade, and finally passed after careful deliberation by the 

 following committee, viz., Messrs. Robt. Law, Wellington; C. L. 

 Maltby, Wellington; P. B. van der Westhuizeu, Worcester; A. L. 

 Franceys, Manager, Rhodes Fruit Farms ; H. Hamilton Barry. 

 Robertson: and I. Tribolet, Chief, Division of Horticulture. 



There are in this coimtry, happily, many farmers and merchants 

 whose methods are thorough and conducive to the fair fame of the 

 Union's products ; the goods they export are of a high standard and 

 equal to the products of any country. For such the regulations will 

 be welcome, for they are designed to protect and foster legitimate 

 trade. That the regulations will prove irksome to others is certain, 

 and to none moie than the unscrupulous exporter who was wont to 

 send parcels of inferior merchandise to the oversea market, hoping 

 to benefit by the name established for the high-grade article sent 

 forward by the conscientious shipper. These speculative shipments 

 were fast undermining" the reputation of South African dried fruit 

 carefully built up by certain of our farmers and exporters. This 

 was most noticeable in the case of raisins, at present constituting the 

 bulk of (<ur exported dried fruit ; there were occasions when consign- 

 ments of inferior quality raisins, stuffed in sacks piled one on top 

 of the other in the ship's hold, were exported from the Union. The 

 condition of such goods when opened on arrival in London for sale 

 to perhaps the most critical buyers in the world can well be imagined. 

 That they were sold at all was due solely to the stress of war and the 

 shortage in food supply ; to-day they would most probably be con- 

 signed to the incinerator as unfit for human consumption. But the 

 mischief has been done, the memory of those consignments lingers, 



