666 Joiinial of Agriculture, Victoria. [ii Nov., 191 2. 



FRUIT TRADE OF VICTORIA. 



ITS PRESENT STATUS, FROM A COMMERCIAL STANDPOINT. 



{Continued from Page 567.) 



LOCAL TRADE. 



By E. Meeking, Senior Inspector of Fruit. 



Part 2. 



It is intended, in this number, to show the present position of the local 

 fruit trade, and to point out some of the disabilities connected therewith. 

 Suggestions will be furnished later as to the manner in which these may 

 be, in large measure, surmounted. Before doing so, it may be as well to 

 indicate the channels whereby our fruits reach the consumer, in order that 

 the suggestions for improving the present methods of disposal may be 

 rendered more clear. 



Approximately 50 per cent, of the total fruits raised in Victoria never 

 leave the State, being consumed or otherwise dealt with locally. Lideed, 

 so far as the small fruits (berry fruits, currants, olives, &c.) are con- 

 cerned, it may be confidently asserted that 99 per cent, of these are con- 

 sumed within the State. This is also true concerning a great proportion 

 of the softer kinds of our large fruits, as the following figures will 

 show : — 



Low Consumption of Fruit in Victoria. 



Li the year 1910-11 (the latest year for which figures are available), a 

 total of 3,641,977 bushels of fruits, exclusive of grapes, was raised in 

 Victoria. This total consisted of 3,583,059 bushels of large fruits, and 

 58,918 bushels of small fruits. Of this total, a quantity of 484,413 

 bushels, or 13.5 per cent., was exported to the other States of the Com- 

 monwealth; 318,297 bushels, or 8.8 per cent., were exported oversea; 

 997,454 bushels. Or 27.3 per cent., were manufactured^ into jams, jellies, 

 &c., and 59,600 bushels, or 1.09 per cent., were converted into dried 

 fruits. This gave a total of 1,859,764 bushels exported, manufactured, 

 or otherwise disposed of, and left a total of 1,782,213 bushels, or slightly 

 under 50 per cent, of the total raised, to be consumed locally. If we 

 add to the quantity raised locally a quantity of 785,106 bushels imported 

 from the other States, and 81,560 bushels imported oversea, we get a total 

 of 2,648,879 bushels consumed in Victoria in the year 1910-11. 



Taking the population of the State for the year under notice at 

 1,305,000 souls, it will be seen that approximately 80 lb. of fruit per 

 head of population was consumed during the 12 months. This gives a 

 daily consumption of 3I oz. of fruit per day per individual. Com- 

 paring this consumption with the consumption of such staple articles of 

 food as meat and bread, it would appear that the proportion of fruit con- 

 sumed is relatively very small, as in 1910-11 there were consumed per 

 head of population in Victoria 223 lb. of meat per annum, or 9.6 oz. per 

 day, and 272 lb. of bread per annum, or 12 oz. per day. 



Large Amount of Waste. 

 As no figures are available to indicate the amount of waste which 

 annually takes place, the figures quoted do not allow for the fruits which 

 are raised but never reach the consumer, and are either fed to stock or 



