Grain And Seeds Table Potatoes For Aust May Leave Today

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30841, 28 August 1965, Page 21

Grain And Seeds Table Potatoes For Aust May Leave Today

Approximately 1500 tons of potatoes are expected to leave Lyttelton today for Sydney. This shipment is the first to be made under the recent agreement allowing potatoes for general use to be exported to Australia until the end of September. The Konui has been loading at Lyttelton this week with potatoes drawn from North and Mid-Canterbury, as well as some from South Canterbury, which have been railed to the port. Initially, it was hoped to export 6000 tons by the end of next month, but some merchants now doubt whether this quota will be filled.

However, merchants are hopeful that a second consignment will be loaded in the Kaitoki at Oamaru and Lyttelton some time next week. The potatoes for Australia have been inspected by the Department of Agriculture

and merchants reported yesterday that shippers are pleased with the quality. Prices on New South Wales markets according to the latest information available are from £A74 to £ABB a ton. These prices are not as good as those ruling early in the month, when values fluctuated between £A7B to £A97, but are better than those quoted about the middle of the month, when the quotes ranged from £A7O to £ABO.

Within New Zealand prices quoted on Auckland wholesale markets are not high, but a reasonable trade is being carried out. Values late this week ranged from £29 to £34 a ton, whereas at the beginning of the month prices varied from £24 to £33 a ton. Apart from the table potatoes for Sydney, limited consignments of New Zealand potatoes for processing only were consigned to Melbourne recently, merchants said yesterday.