MARKETING OF POTATOES

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26126, 31 May 1950, Page 6

MARKETING OF POTATOES

PROPOSED BOARD DESCRIBED

GROWERS APPROVE SCHEME

A representative meeting of maincrop potato growers in North Canterbury yesterday afternoon gave unanimous support to a marketing scheme which will be incorporated in the Potato Growing Industry Bill, which will be introduced, during the first session of the new Parliament. The new scheme is to take the place of the Government contract system, which will terminate this year. The growers gave their opinion on the new scheme after hearing an outline of the bill by Mr T. L. Hayman, M.P., who is chairman of the potato section of South Canterbury Federated Farmers and a member of the New Zealand Potato Advisory Committee. Mr Hayman was accompanied by Mr W. J. Fletcher, vice-chairman of the potato section of South Canterbury Federated Farmers. The question before the meeting was clear-cut, said Mr Hayman. “Do you want a return to pre-war marketing conditions or do you want some organisation set up to give you some form of security?” He described the scheme as “an earnest and honest attempt to organise our industry and to give justice to everyone including the consumer.” It was the result of the work of many interested parties and “much burning of oil.” The organisation would be something without an exact parallel in marketing, said Mr Hayman, but the tobacco and hops boards were of a similar nature and both were giving a high degree of satisfaction to all concerned. Proposed Bill “I have seen .a copy of the proposed bill, and by and large it is designed to give control of the industry to a board consisting of three growers’ and three merchants’ representatives,” said Mr Hayman. It was hoped that a departmental representative would be present in an advisory capacity to keep the board informed of the wishes of the Government. Discussing representation on the board, Mr Hayman said that potato problems were as closely related to selling as growing.

The board would enter into contracts with growers as the Government had done in the past and would undertake to give a certain .price for those potatoes. It would act with the merchants’ federation in the same way as had the Government. To pay out on potatoes which were surplus at the end of a season, it would collect a levy of a maximum of 13s a ton. Potatoes could not be bought or sold without payment of the levy, he said. The board would be empowered to export or import potatoes, continued Mr Hayman, as on it was being placed the responsibility of growing potatoes for New Zealand needs, and if sufficient were not grown they would have to be imported up to that level. “Once a year, probably in November, it will have to report to the Minister of Agriculture the number of acres it has contracted for, and probably in June it will have to give an estimate of yields. The board will have to comply with the wishes of the Minister of Agriculture as regards New Zealand’s potato needs from year to year,” he said. <

Control of Industry Mr Hayman said that 'he board would have to be elastic to deal with a host of obstacles that were not at present apparent. It would be impossible to draw a complete picture of it until it had been in operation for several years-. “There may have to be a tighter control of the industry,” said Mr Hayman, “but we know it is much better to grow 20 acres and make a profit than grow 30 acres and make a loss.”

Mr Fletcher told growers that it was highly improbable that the price of potatoes, set by the Price Tribunal at prudent costs, would be altered when the board came into being. Messrs R. G. Robinson and W. E. Owen, for the North Canterbury Grain Merchants’ Association, said that the bulk of the merchants in North Canterbury were in favour of some scheme of orderly marketing, and if a board was formed they would do their part to support it. The meeting decided to call together another public meeting of growers to recommend to the Minister the appointment of a member to the board. After the first year growers would elect members directly. Mr Hayman said it was proposed that the North Island should have one growers’ representative on the board and the South Island two. with the Rakaia river the dividing line for the southern representation.