GRAIN AND SEEDS Potato Prices Up A Further £2

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30562, 3 October 1964, Page 25

GRAIN AND SEEDS Potato Prices Up A Further £2

Although there has been a further rise of £2 a ton in the price to growers for South Island potatoes, the weather in the Pukekohe district has shown some improvement with the result that there has been some increase in supplies of new potatoes on the Auckland market. The supply of new potatoes is making some inroads into the market for South Island potatoes in Auckland, where at the end of this week they were quoted on the wholesale markets at £4O to £46 a ton, compared with £34 to £44 10s a week earlier. Latest growers’ prices quoted were £3O a ton for Suttons, £29 for Dakotas and Chippewa and £2B for Ham Hardy and Sebago. As has been the case with recent shipments from Lyttelton, the percentage of rejections because of inner bruising continues to be very much higher than normal. The overseas market for small seeds continues to be quiet, but a Government order for tenders for approximately 100 tons of various types of seeds this week, should help alleviate the supplies on hand —particularly perennial ryegrass and white clover. A range of values announced as a guide to growers by the president of the North Canterbury Grain, Seed and Produce Merchants’ Association (Mr M. J. Goodwin), was:— Ryegrass.—Mother perennial. 15s fid a bushel; p.p., 14s 6d; mother Hl, ISs; Mother Italian, 20s (nominal). White Clover.—Mother, 2s 8d per lb; p.p., 2s 7d. Cowgrass.—Mother,. 3s 3d per lb; uncertified, 3s. Montgomery Red Clover.— Mother, 3s 3d per lb; uncertified, 2s 9d. Marlborough Lucerne.—Mother, 4s fid per lb; uncertified, 3s fid.

Cocksfoot.—Mother grasslands, 3s 6d per lb; uncertified, 2s 3d.

Mr Goodwin emphasised that values quoted for ryegrass and white clover were based on a 99/90 purity and germination and free from Rumex species to comply with the United Kingdom Seeds Act.