SUPPLIES OF POTATOES

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25917, 24 September 1949, Page 6

SUPPLIES OF POTATOES

IMPORTATIONS MAY BE AVOIDED CANTERBURY POSITION Merchants do not think that it will be necessary to import potatoes into Canterbury this year. Stocks that are left, with the addition of new potatoes, should, it is considered, last until the digging of new potatoes commences in earnest. The census taken by the Marketing Division in Canterbury at the end of July disclosed that there were then about 17.000 tons of potatoes remaining unmarketed. Dominion requirements are estimated at between 6000 and 700'0 tons a month and. working on this basis, it is estimated that today there are still about 6000 tons io go into consumption. Since the census, an appreciable quantity of potatoes has been imported from Tasmania.

Reports to the Marketing Division indicate that the crop of early potatoes in the Nelson district has every promise of being a particularly good one in yield, and also should be harvested somewhat earlier than usual. Earlier in the week early crop potatoes were selling in the Nelson shops at 6d per lb, which is l|d below ceiling price. Hotels and other big users of potatoes are believed to have stocks in hand for their own requirements, and a number of stores are. too. reported to hold reasonable supplies. An officer of the division said: “Supplies may be a bit on the short side, but unless the situation changes materially within the next two or three weeks, there should be no need for the importation of potatoes into Canterbury.” Position in the North Little change in the supply of table potatoes is reported by Auckland merchants, and considerable difficulty is being experienced in trying to satisfy the requirements of the trade. The small quantities which arrived on the last two steamers from the south were rationed as fairly as possible. In addition most Auckland merchants have been receiving small lines through outports and via Wellington, and as these came to hand they have been distributed as widely as possible. Last week a shipment arrived from Australia and went quickly into consumption, but was not large enough to make any appreciable difference to existing stocks. Two steamers arc expected from the south this week-end, but the quantities they carry will be very small. Extreme difficulty is being experienced in locating further supplies in the South Island. A second shipment of Australian potatoes is expected to arrive in Wellington during the early part of October.