POTATO EMBARGO

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 May 1936, Page 2

POTATO EMBARGO

AUSTRALIAN POLICY CHANGE. [per press association.] CHRISTCHURCH, May 10. The lifting of the embargo in Australia against New Zealand potatoes will be discussed at a conference of the Ministers for Agriculture of all of the Australian States on May 27, according to a statement by Hon R. Cosgrove, the Tasmanian Minister of Agriculture, to a reporter to-day. Mr. Cosgrove said he thought that tho lifting of this embargo would receive very favourable consideration. Tire Queensland and New South Wales Ministers of Agriculture would be strongly in favour of it, as they were anxious to restore the citrus fruit trade of their States with New ZeaZealand.

Mr. Cosgrove as the representative of one of the two Australian States that are chiefly interested in the potato embargo, has come to the Dominion to discover whether the New Zealand growers are able to compete in the Australian markets to the detri-

ment of the home growers. “One of the things which I want to find out here,” he said, “is the price at wihch -New Zealand potatoes can profitably be landed in Sydney, which, is also our market: and I wish to know if it is unduly lower than the price received by the Tasmanian growers. Our growers have, in the last three years, averaged only a shade less than £7 per ton for potatoes. My own opinion is that New Zealand will be able to land them only at that price, unless in exceptional season, when there is a surplus to be got rid of. The New Zealand potatoes were shut out, in the first place, on the score of disease, but this argument has now been dropped.” Mr. Cosgrove agreed that New Zealand potatoes could do little damage to the Australian growers, and he thought that there was a good prospect of the embargo being lifted.