GLUT OF POTATOES

Feilding Star, Volume 10, Issue 3932, 16 January 1933, Page 5

GLUT OF POTATOES

OVER-PRODUCTION AT PUKEKOITE ACRES LEFT TN TTTF GROT’ND (Per Press Association.) Auckland. Jan. 13. Large quantities of potatoes are at present practically valueless and remain on the hands of growers in the Franklin district as tin* outcome of heavy over-production Areas of ripe potatoes ranging from a fraction of an acre to several acres in extent arc to be seen all over the district with tin* tops of the i>otatoes well wilted. No move is being made to dig them. The rain on Saturday last is now precipitating a crisis in regard to these crops. The weather has continued warm since the liberal downpour, and with the soil moist there is a danger of second growth. There are about eight tons to the acre in tin* crops maturing at this time of the year, and if this enormous quantity of potatoes is allowed to sprout: th<* difficulties of the farmer in later clearing the land for sowing some other crops may be greater than the financial difficulties created by the loss of the potatoes. To avoid this some growers have now started digging without waiting for the prospect of being able to market their potatoes. They are bagging them and storing them in sheds ami pits’ for later use. This is something of an experiment at Pukekohe. Should potatoes keep successfully they will Ik* in competition with southern potatoes on the market later in the year. It is estimated that the quantity of potatoes that at present could be dug for storage at Pukekohe is in the vicinity of 2000