POTATO SHORTAGE

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23534, 12 January 1942, Page 4

POTATO SHORTAGE

“IMPORTING ALL WE CAN GET” POSITION EXPLAINED BY MINISTER (P.A.) WELLINGTON, January 10. “Everything possible has been and is being done to meet the position. We are importing all the potatoes we can possibly get, and I do not think the present shortage will be more than temporary,” said the Minister for Marketing (the Hon. J. G. Barclay) today when referring to the lack of supplies of potatoes in Wellington and elsewhere. Mr Barclay said that the very backward spring and the poorer crops were largely responsible for the present position. Crops had been later in maturing, and the usual high standard had not been maintained. He also referred to the small acreage grown this season. In the 1939-40 season, he said, 20,000 acres of potatoes were planted, and they produced seven tons to the acre, which was a glut crop. This season, only 17,000 acres had been planted, and instead of getting seven tons to the acre, the average was only 5i tons to the acre. “If we had obtained seven tons to the acre this season,” added Mr Barclay, ‘‘the 17,000 acres would have been ample.” The Minister said he believed that the position should be relieved through New Zealand by the end of the present month, and that if the weather became more favourable it was likely to result in a considerable drop in prices. The Minister was asked if there was any truth in the assertion that the growers were not digging their crops at the present time because of the reduced price fixed by the Price Investigation Tribunal in the hope of getting a bigger return from a greater yield by leaving their potatoes in the ground a little longer. Mr Barclay said that the ceiling price of £2O a ton was a good price, and it was not expected that it would be obtainable for an indefinite period. Those growers who were not digging their crops in anticipation of getting a little more weight later on might find that their returns would be less.