SURPLUS POTATOES

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 284, 26 August 1940, Page 10

SURPLUS POTATOES

Canterbury Produce

SEARCH FOR MARKET (By Telegraph— Press Association.) CIIRLSTC'HURCH, August 23. Efforts are tdill being made to find an outlet for Canterbury’s surplus potatoes. but few of those directly interested are optimistic about securing one. South America lias been inquiring for both table and seed potatoes, but the difiiculty is (o secure freight. Marketing of potatoes was the subject of a conference held in AVellington this week between North and South Island merchants. It was reported in the city today that some of the potatoes sent to Australia bad been rejected because of a disease known as silver scurf. When the report was referred to Mr. A. H. Cockayne, Director-General of Agriculture, he said it evidently referred to the first shipment, and not the second, which arrived a few days ago. Mr Cockayne said one line was rejected from the first shipment nnd picked over, but comparatively few of the potatoes were affected. The second shipment, Mr. Cockayne said, had arrived in satisfactory condition. Silver scurf is a skin disease only. The market remains very dull with no improvement on the low prices which have been ruling for the greater part of the season. Reports from the North Island are that the local crop is more than sufficient to keep the market there supplied, and since it will not be long now before new potatoes i are in, there is little prospeet of further substantial supplies being drawn from Canterbury.