MANAWATU POTATOGROWERS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 74, 21 December 1937, Page 8

MANAWATU POTATOGROWERS

Association’s Report Dominion Special Service. Palmerston North, December 20. "The association tags are now well known to all buyers over the whole of the Dominion, and inquiries continue to come in each season for potatoes bearing the tags issued by our organisation. This is ample evidence that buyers generally are very pleased with the association’s grading standard,’’ said the chairman of the executive of the Manawatu Potato-grow-ers’ Association, Mr. A. Seifert, in his report to the recent annual meeting. “All our members must continue to exercise the greatest of care to ensure that grading is kept up to standard before putting on our tag*?, as this is the only method of maintaining the confidence of the buyer which iw so necessary in keeping the good name which luih already been built up,” Air. Seifert, “Bad grading would defeat our objects and lose for our members those advantages that have already been gamed. .

‘The area planted in the North Island last year has been slightly below the previous year’s acreage and because of the bad season the yield was a good deal lower. During the past, year potatoes were again ship I to South America from Canterbury, ami this, no doubt, helped the local market to some extent. “A few months ago the association made, representations to the Government with the object of endeavouring to have the Australian duty on New Zealand potatoes reduced or abolished, and efforts are still being made in this direction. The association has also made representations to the Minister of Agriculture with a view to having satisfactory arrangements made for that department to arbitrate in the case of any dispute as to grade. Finality has not yet been reached in this matter, but we are hopeful of having some results in limo to reap the benefit this season.” Owing'to the bad season experienced last year the full quota of the tags which were' expected to be required were not used, and (his reduced the association's income below expectation. However, the finances were in a very healthy condition, with a balance of £2l/1/- in hand in addition Io lags to the value of £5. The meeting was attended by merchants ami representatives of the Department of Agriculture, as well as members Gratification was expressed at the progress made during the year and the recognition of the associations efforts to improve the grade -supplied to the Dominion markets.

'l'he committee for the ensuing year is Messrs. A. Seifert (chairman). W. S. Fell, S. R. Newnham. (1. Allwright and V. D. Fraser.