DUMPING OF POTATOES

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28420, 29 October 1957, Page 14

DUMPING OF POTATOES

Surplus Ungraded Stocks Any seed potatoes being dumped or fed out to stock in the Waimate and Willowbridge districts would definitely be surplus stocks of uncertified, ungraded seed potatoes, said the chairman of the New Zealand Potato Board (Mr W. J. Fletcher) last evening, commenting on a report that Arran Chief seed potatoes were being dumped and fed out to stock in these districts. It was normal in any year that there should be some surplus seed stocks after the full swing of the new season’s potato planting had been under way, he said.

It was quite incorrect to say that the Potato Board had made a survey and that ‘‘it appeared that very few Willowbridge potatoes would be shipped to the North Island.” Mr Fletcher said. It was a garbled and misleading statement. Hundreds of tons of potatoes had been shipped from Willowbridge to the North Island. The position was that fewer potatoes would now be sent, as the season was almost over, said Mr Fletcher. This situation applied throughout all potatogrowing districts. As new potatoes became plentiful from Pukekoe and Hawke’s Bay. and came down in price, the price and demand for South Island table potatoes were affected, and it was now too late for there to be much demand for South Island seed potatoes in the North Island.

The feeding-out of surplus potatoes to stock, whether of table or seed potatoes, was certainly one of the most efficient and economical ways of ensuring that a use was made of any such surplus potato stocks, he said. The Potato Board would be holding its regular meeting in V’ellington today. said Mr Fletcher, and would consider the declarations of stocks made by all contract growers as at October 19. If the board considered that the supplies of new potatoes would be sufficient to meet Dominion requirements, it would make the necessary arrangements to carry out its obligations to all contract growers under the terms of the growers’ contracts. As for the North Island buyers being “choosy” and preferring other varieties to Arran Chief, sa d Mr Fletcher, this was not correct as it was a recognised fa t that Arran Chief was one of the best long-keeping varieties and as a result was not usually marketed until late in the season. If new potatoes became plentiful early in the season, as they had this year, it was natural that the late varieties would be somewhat surplus.