PRICE OF POTATOES

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 115, 18 May 1927, Page 13

PRICE OF POTATOES

CANTERBURY CONTROVERSY

(By Telegraph.)

(Speolal to "The Evening Post.")

CHRISTCHUECH, This Bay. A letter regarding the price of potatoes sent by Mr. D. Jones, M.P., to Mr J D ■Hall,, the president of the North Canterbury Branch of the Farmers' Union, and :•■ published yesterday has excited a good . deal of comment in grain and produce circles in Christehurch. In his letter *Mr. Jones contended that the fanner to-day should be getting at least £5 per ton on ■ trucks for his potatoes. The present price js only £3 per ton. Mr. Jones based Ins contention on the assumption that the average yield of potato crops in Can- \ tcrbury this season is considerably below normal. _ This ia the crux of the question, nud it is the point on which the opinions of merchants vary. Duriiig the past week or . two growers have not been selling their potatoes so freely, and advice from Auckland is to th. effect that the market there is being cleared of Canterbury tubers and that there may be a rise in price soon. Ther is little doubt that if the growers follow the advice of Mr. Jones and hold their potatoes the price will go up, but -> whether it will stay up will depend on the ■yjt'.wi (j-uantity of table potatoes there is in the province. As already stated the opinions in the • trade on this point differ. Time alone will jell which side is right, but present indications are that there will not be any <■ surplus.