Auckland Potato Glut Blamed On Growers

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30368, 18 February 1964, Page 16

Auckland Potato Glut Blamed On Growers

The view of an Auckland merchant, quoted in a Press Association message last week, that two new highyielding varieties of potatoes developed at the Crop Research Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research at Lincoln were contributing to the current glut of potatoes on the Auckland market was “a very simple, naive explanation to excuse the Auckland growers for having grown too many,” said Mr C. M. Driver, a principal scientific officer of the Crop Research Division.

“For many years South Island growers have known the folly of growing too many, for crops have been left unharvested on many occasions,” said Mr Driver, the man responsible for the development of the two new varieties, Tahi and Rua. Mr Driver said that about 10 to 15 years ago the acreage in the Auckland area was 600 to 800. Yields varied from two tons to the acre in August to six tons in November, few crops exceeding eight to 10 tons. The quantity of early potatoes was relatively small. They could readily be absorbed an the markets and they received a substantial premium on North Island markets over the stored main crop potatoes.

Today, however, it was estimated that the acreage was around 6000 and most crops would yield more than six tons an acre, many going up to 12 to 15 tons. There was also no longer any distinct season of production. Farmers had found potatoes a useful crop in their programme of pasture renewal and one which helped to diversify their income and where crops were grown after grass, they tended to give a higher yield than on worked-out market garden soils. Difficulty A difficulty about growing potatoes in the warmer areas was that if they were left in the ground after they had ripened they readily resprouted and if dug and stored they soon deteriorated. This meant that potatoes had to be dug and harvested when ready, even if the markets were fully supplied. The summer market had also for years been supplied mainly from the Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay and a further complication was an increased acreage in the Wairarapa. The net result was that there was no outside market for the loss of the Auckland market to outside growers had resulted in

over-supply in other North Island towns and a very depressed market. ‘‘South Island growers have known for years that they must limit their acreage if they wish to prevent a glut," said Mr Driver. “Even so, apart from 1956, the year of severe shortage, potato growing has never been so profitable as in the Auckland area. Auckland growers must realise that the days of very high prices are probably over for good and that some limitation of acreage may be necessary to prevent gluts. By reducing costs, by growing higher yielding varieties and growing them well they can still make a profit even at low prices. It will be necessary to look at costs a little more closely than has been common in the past to improve the profit-margin, but this will be no bad thing. “The glut in the North Island emphasises the difficulty of diversifying production when products with limited markets are grown. Any attempts tend to result first in gluts, and then a gradual shift in production to the lower cost districts. To increase our total cropping we need to increase our markets, and this can be done by processing our products in a form suitable for export. At the moment dehydration is taking only a small part of the crop, but in a few years could take very large quantities and give more stability to the local fresh market.”