New Potato Grades Come Into Force On Monday

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28268, 4 May 1957, Page 2

New Potato Grades Come Into Force On Monday

(New Zealand Press Association/

WELLINGTON. May 3. “The revised grades for potatoes will be introduced as from Monday, May 6,” said Mr J. Turnbull, president of the New Zealand Grain, Seed and Produce Merchants’ Federation, today. Subject to certain minor modifications, what was previously knoydi. as “good table” will now be known as “super,” and “f.a.qwill now be known as "No. 1 grade.” In addition there has been introduced-a lower grade to be known as "No. 2 grade.” Anything below these three grades will be “undergrade.” “The new No. 2 grade has been introduced to meet the special conditions experienced by some growers who, because,of the type of land or seasonal conditions, have potatoes which are poor in appearance due to excessive misshape or skin blemish, but are otherwise of good eating quality,” said Mr Turnbull. “For some time growers have felt that such potatoes were too severely dealt with when they were regarded as ‘undergrade.’ The steps taken to introduce a No. 2 grade should meet these objections. Graders’ Meeting "A meeting of port graders has taken place recently, and with the introduction of the new grades and the uniformity in grading procedures, merchants are confident that the quality of potatoes reaching the public this year and henceforward should be satisfactory One of the difficulties in the past was that there was no legal obligation to have potatoes inspected by graders, with the result that in times of short supply all kinds of rubbish could be shipped and no-one could do anything about it. “My federation arid the potato board have agreed that regulations should be introduced maknu* it compulsory for potatoes to be inspected by port graders, whose responsibility it shall be to brane

the bags according to the grade. This is an important factor in the new procedure.

“For the benefit ot growers, merchants, retailers and the consuming public, the last brand bn the bag.” said Mr TurnbaU, “win be on its own, below the other shipping brands, and this last brand will indicate the grade,■X’ for super, T’ for No. 1, •y » or No. 2, and ’U’> for undergrad* 1 am sure we can depend upon growers, retailers and merchants to co-operate In this matter anfi this should assure the public being able to buy* better quality potatoes and paying according to the grade of potato they receive Leaflet for Farmers & “I would suggest to farmers that they should make a point ot eecuring from their merchant a description of the various grade!. These are being prepared in leaiet form and will be available for distribution in the next few days Any potatoes already sold as f.a.q. will be regarded as Na 1 grade as from May 6," Mr Turnbull said.