No Decision On More Potato Exports

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30768, 4 June 1965, Page 8

No Decision On More Potato Exports

Whether New Zealand has enough potatoes to enable more to be exported to Australia has still not been fully ascertained. Early last month the Potato Board recommended that no more permits for export be issued, apart from the 11,000 tons applied for by that time, until a declaration of stocks, expected to be in the board’s hands at the end of May, enabled a more accurate estimate of supplies to be made. Yesterday a spokesman for the board said the survey of stocks was not yet complete. However, he thought further permits for export might be issued. Until the end of May. slightly less than 8000 tons of potatoes had been shipped from Lyttelton and Timaru. with approximately 5000 tons of the total designated for overseas ports, included the islands and Australia.

Last year only about 200 tons had been shipped overseas from both ports and this.

was all for islands trade, mainly with Fiji. Only about 700 tons had been consigned from both Lyttelton and Timaru for North Island and overseas ports by the end of May. The North Island demand for South Island potatoes this season has been sporadic, and the latest market reports from Auckland indicate that South Island potatoes are bringing between £33 and £34 a ton.

In Australia prices have continued to drop, and at the end of last month produce markets quoted prices ranging from £ASS to £A6B a ton. Slightly more than a month ago prices ranged up to £AII6. Continued New Zealand trade with Australia will depend on Australian prices as much as the New Zealand supply, and some merchants feel that further trade will be difficult should prices drop too much from their present levels,'