COSTLY FROSTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 185, 6 August 1936, Page 11

COSTLY FROSTS.

DAMAGE AT PUKEKOHE

THOUSANDS OF POUNDS. MISSING THE MARKET. (From Our Own Correspondent.) PUKEKOHE, this day. As the result of three successive frosts, Pukekohe potato-growers are in an unenviable position, and will probably lose many thousands of pounds through missing the early market. For many years Pukekohe potatoes have been first on the Auckland and Wellington markets and have commanded the highest prices in September, when the market usually opens. Last year, in early September, the growers experienced a good market and obtained prices ranging from £25 to almost £30 per ton, but this year the Pukekohe potatoes will be missing, for it is highly improbable that any will be ready before the middle of October.

. Very heavy frosts were' experienced last Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, and, although Pukekohe Hill is considered to be practically immune from frosts, the potato fields were white, and one paddock of potatoes where''frosts have never'been seen during the past fifteen years was blackened. When crops such as these- do grow again, they run to top and have a very light crop under the ground. Practically every crop on Pukekohe Hill, many of which were planted in May, has been blackened, and now are no further ahead than those planted last week.

When the Pukekohe potatoes are placed on the market, probably towards the end of October, they will then have to meet strong competition from other centres, and the price obtained will be only about half of what they would have received from the market next .month. In addition, the crops in other centres were planted much later, and missing the severe effects of the frosts, will be much heavier, thus placing those growers in a very strong position when competing with the Pukekohe produce.