corrugated paper and fruit is individually 

 wrapped in paper. Most packs are good and 

 the fruit packed is somewhat on the firm side 

 so as to allow shipment in unrefrigerated rail 

 cars. 



The entire packing system was modeled 

 after the system used 20-25 years ago in 

 western United States. In fact, during the 

 early days of the industry, technicians from 

 the United States were brought in to establish 

 and run the packing plants and to teach meth- 

 odology to the Argentine industry. 



Standard containers used for export are 

 approximately the same as those used in the 

 United States: 



Net 

 Container weight 



Pounds 



Dimensions 

 Outside Inside 



Inches 



Inches 



Apple, box..<i8-l/2 11.6x13x19,5 10.6x11.5x18 

 Pear, box. ..44 9.0x13x19.5 8.3x11.5x18 



Grape, lug. .28 6.0x14x17.5 



CURRENCY EXCHANGE 



In the past, fruit exporters have been held 

 back somewhat by exchange restrictions which 

 limited them to officially determined exchange 

 rates usually lower than free exchange. How- 

 ever, in the 1957-58 season, in answer to re- 

 quests frona the industry, the Argentine Gov- 

 ernment released fruit from these restrictions. 

 For the first tinne in several years all fruits 

 can be exported at free exchange rates, ex- 

 cept shipments to Brazil. This action will 

 stimulate exports by innproving the competi- 

 tive position of Argentina. For example, fruit 

 sold for a price of $4. 00 per box f. a. s. 

 Buenos Aires would have returned 72.00 pesos 

 to the exporter under the official rate of 18-1. 

 With the new free rate (38-1) the same price 

 in dollars brings the exporter 152.00 pesos. 



TRANSPORTATION 



Transportation facilities for fresh fruit in 

 Argentina are extremely inadequate in almost 

 all respects. However, rates are rather low. 

 The roads of the country are generally bad, 

 and thus fruit movement is by rail except from 

 areas close to Buenos Aires where trucks can 

 be used. 



The railroads of Argentina are owned and 

 operated by the government and apparently 

 very little is being done to improve equipment 

 or service. Rail cars used for fruit are ven- 

 tilated cars--cars with slatted sides, so that 

 air blows through the load while the train is 

 moving. There are very few refrigerated cars 

 in the cotintry and the few available are used 

 almost exclusively for fresh grapes nnoving 

 from San Juan area to Buenos Aires. 



No subsidies are publicized by the railroads 

 but apparently the low rates in effect are 

 largely a result of government absorption of 

 at least a portion of the operating costs. 



Argentine railroads have narrow, standard, 

 and wide gage lines so that interchange of 

 equipment is extremely limited. 



Buenos Aires is the only portfrom which 

 fruit is exported, and in fact, is the hub of al- 

 mostall business operations of the country. 

 Therefore, the railroads fan outfronn the city 

 like the spokes of a wheel, with very little, if any, 

 cross movement between the main lines. For 

 example, a main line rxuis from Buenos Aires 

 southwest to the Rio Negro and another from 

 Buenos Aires west to Mendoza but there is no 

 rail connection between Rio Negro and Mendoza 

 without returning to Buenos Aires. 



TABLE 5. --Transportation costs: Rail freight rates, producing area to port, 

 by area and kind, 1958 



Apples . . 

 Pears . . . 

 Grapes . . 

 Plums . . . 

 Prunes. . 

 Raisins. 



i8.5 lb. box 

 "U lb. box 

 28 lb. lug 

 22 lb. lug 



do 



do 



Rio Negro to 

 Buenos Aires 



Pesos 

 6.72 

 6.72 



Dollan 



0.18 



.18 



Mendoza to 

 Buenos Aires 



Pesos 

 9.61 

 9.61 



2.50 



Dollars 

 0.25 



.13 



.07 



San Juan to 

 Buenos Aires 



Fruit growers and shippers in all the major 

 areas of western Argentina are campaigning 

 for the construction of good paved roads from 

 their areas to the city but have met with very 

 little success. Such road improvement would 

 nnake the use of motor trucks feasible and 

 greatly facilitate the nnovement of fruit. The 

 areas close to Buenos Aires where truck 

 movement is possible are largely using this 

 method of transportation in preference to the 

 poor rail service. 



Fruit exported from Argentina is shipped 

 from the port of Buenos Aires in refrigerated 

 holds. To date, shipping space has been ade- 

 quate for movement to the United States, but 

 at certain tinnes short-term shortages for 

 movement to Europe have developed. Dock 

 handling space is adequate and delays do not 

 normally occur at this point. 



Ships carrying fruit from Buenos Aires to 

 United States ports are equipped with record- 

 ing thermometers. Fruit has been cooled in 

 cold storage prior to loading and a record of 

 the tennperature at loading is taken by Argen- 

 tine plant quarantine officials. The fruit then, 

 through the use of the recorders, is able to 

 pass the quarantine required by U. S. Regula- 

 tions in the ship before it arrives at a United 

 States port. For pest control purposes, fruit 

 must be held in the ship at maximum tempera- 

 tures of 32-36° F. The length of time required 

 for the treatment varies from 10 to 16 days, 

 depending upon the maximum temperature at 

 which the fruit is held. This arrangement has 



