POTATO PRICES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 138, 13 June 1942, Page 6

POTATO PRICES

SOUTH ISLAND CROP ,|

NEW ORDER ISSUED

A new potato price order was issued yesterday. The main features of the order are:—(l) The fixing-on a graduated scale of the prices to be I received by the growers of South Island main crop potatoes for the . months June to November, 1942, inclusive; (2) the determination of the service allowances to be secured by distributors, wholesalers, and retailers; and (3) the fixing: of maximum retail' prices throughout the Dominion for the months covering the currency of the order. The> prices payable to growers, f.0.b., sacks included, at the port of shipment for June will be x £B 115$, a ton for Sutton Supremes King Edward varieties, and for July £9 ss. For all other varieties the price will be 10s a ton less. The maximum retail prices: for June and July in Canterbury and Otago will be 13d a 1b; at other main ports 2d a lb, and elsewhere 21 d alb. The Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr. Sullivan) stated that, the; schedule of growers' prices is in I accordance with the arrangement entered into recently with the growers'- representatives. "These prices," said Mr. Sullivan, "apply only with respect to potatoes grown in the South Island, and they, do not apply to any such potatoes that have been sold on or before May 14, 1942, and are actually delivered to the purchaser on or before June 30, 1942. In addition, the order does not apply to the produce of seed potatoes planted at any time after March 31, 1942. THE SERVICE MARGINS. "The service margins provided in the order for distributors, wholesalers, and retailers, apply with respect to all potatoes intended for. human consumpj tion -whether grown in New Zealand |or imported into New Zealand during the period, the order remains operative. The provisions fixing the maximum retail price payable by the public also apply to all potatoes sold to consumers while1 the order remains in force. In this connection, careful note should be taken of the fact ■ that the order does; not cover new potatoes." MAXIMUM PLANTINGS. The Minister said that growers could- plant with confidence to the maximum extent possible, with the assurance that the Government recognised the additional costs and risks associated with early potato crops. For this such crops had been excluded from the order. The scale of prices payable to South Island growers from month to month included increments to cover the additional5 expenses and loss in holding supplies for requirements in the later months, with a slight additional increase in October and . November when the holding loss was greater through increased deterioration. The new prices to growers had been placed on a "free on board sacksin" basis instead of "trucks sacks-in," as it was found that the latter basis worked out to the disadvantage of growers at a distance from a shipping port. The Minister expressed the opinion that the prices payable to growers under the order, plus the monthly increments, were liberal. He emphasised that in making these increments available the Government relied upon growers to ensure that, supplies of potatoes would come on to the market month by month in accordance with market requirements. There could be no holding back of entire crops for later delivery in order to benefit by these increments. Should such supplies not be made available, it would be necessary for the Government to take whatever action it deemed necessary in order to ensure that potatoes were available for the requirements of the armed forces and the ; public need. . Mr. Sullivan stated that the purpose of the order was to ensure a fair return to the grower coincident with full protection to the consuming public and to provide also fair remunerative returns to the distributive sections of the trade.