POTATO MARKET

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 278, 20 August 1938, Page 4

POTATO MARKET

Hope Of Australian Outlet Fading

By Telegraph—Press Association.

Christchurch, August 19.

■ Chief’ interest in the Canterbury grain ami produce markets is still in potatoes. Cabled information from Australia has encouraged and dashed by turns the hopes .of growers and merchants that a..market there would he opened to. Ixew Zealand potatoes, but. now the consensus of opinion is timt the possibility of anything being done Is remote.

Information received privately in Christchurch is that opposition to the lifting of the embargo comes not from a small section of those interested in Australia, as some reports have indi-' eated, but from a very large one which includes growers of Tasmania. Victoria and New South Wales. . ' The only result of all the talk that has been going on. ;says an Australian merchant in a letter, is likely to be more talk and a consequent weakening in the Australian market.. ' If it happened-that. Australia did decide to admit New Zealand potatoes, mercjianrs' .would .be faced with - another problem—that is., ■flnding.potatp.es.of good enough quality to satisfy the requirements of the Australian market. As one merchant said, it might be necessary to buy 4000 tons to export 1000, and the prospect of doing that is. of course, not attractive. The market, has been practically at a standstill this week. The Wellington market is flooded and few orders have been coming from Auckland. The quotation remains at £2/10/- a ton on. trucks at handy stations. Seed wheat has continued to go out in good quantities, but the demand for other seeds is still , very small. A few days of fine’ weather will probably bring a beginning of seasonal activity in the small seeds trade. Chaff, which firmed to £4/15/- last week, has eased again to £4/10/-. Supplies are more plentiful.