POTATO GROWING

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 103, 28 October 1939, Page 8

POTATO GROWING

NEXT SEASON'S PROSPECT

MARKET SUPPLIES NOW LOW

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, October 27. A strong North Island demand for potatoes continues, but as Canterbury stocks are practically exhausted merchants are having difficulty in satisfying it. A good part of recent dealings has been in under-grade potatoes. The price now quoted to growers is £18 to £19 a ton, but it is more or less nominal.

The Government Statistician's estimate of the size of the 1939-40 crop, at 19,800 acres, shows an increase on the actual area sown in 1938-39 of approximately 1800 acres, but it is well below the average of the last seven years. The official estimate of the 1938-39 crop gazetted in December, 1938, was 20,000 acres, or 2000 acres more than were actually sown. Allowing a similar, margin either above or below the estimate, the 1939-40 crop will still be: below the average of recent years, as the following figures show:—l93B-39, 18,032 acres; 1937-38, 23,090; 1936-37, 22,462; 1935-36, 22,958; 1934-35, 23,001; 1933-34, 25,028; 1932-33, 24,605,

Besides the comparatively small acreage there is a possibility of a smaller yield next year because of the use of inferior seed encouraged by record prices ruling this last season, but against that it is reasonable to suppose that there will be more extensive sowing by householders.

There has been a slackening in the demand vfor chaff this week, though quotations remain unchanged. Other markets are featureless.