N.Z. POTATOES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 90, 18 April 1939, Page 13

N.Z. POTATOES

AUSTRALIAN EMBARGO

QUESTION OF FURTHER

SUPPLIES

On his visit to Australia, from* which.-, - he returned yesterday, Mr. R. B: Ten-^ nent, director of the fields division' of the Department of Agriculture,: was engaged in looking into the possl- : bility of the Australian embargo on :■--, New Zealand potatoes being lifted fof a- further period. Mr. Tennent said/i today that, although there.was nothing - definite to announce yet, he. was hope-.. ful of arrangements being made for f further supplies of 'New Zealand • potatoes being allowed into the Com-.^ monwealth. • ■. ; The present period during whichpotatoes from New Zealand are allow- ■ ed to enter the Commonwealth? is to .; expire on Thursday. . ... , . Before he left Sydney Mr. Tennent,;.. pointed out that, according to recent advice, the main South Island crop v will not be ready for digging until early in May, and said that it was not expected that there would be a very -- large surplus. The amount available ; . for export would be approximately ; 2000 or 3000 tons. If the Australian " market was made available to New Zealand, every step would be taken to ensure that nothing but the^ best' potatoes entered the Commonwealth. Mr. Tennent referred also to the\fact that in 1937 New Zealand exported , 22,000 tons of potatoes' to South A America, and he said that not one bag had been rejected, in spite of tht strict regulations there.