FUTURE POTATO CROP

Grey River Argus, 20 July 1945, Page 5

FUTURE POTATO CROP

MERCHANTS' COMPLAINT AGAINST AN INTERNAL MARKETING OFFICIAL p.A. WELLINGTON, July 19 A statement was issued to-day to the Press by the New Zealand Gram Seed and Produce Merchants’ Federations as follows:—-A statement m the Press yesterday attributed to Mr. A. H. Honeyfield, Auckland Manager of the Internal Marketing Division., concerning the shortage of potatoes is, to say the least, untimely and discourteous and couched in terms which, through his apparent ignorance of the real position, might create an erroneous impression of the situation. Mr. Honeyfield seemed over-anxious to dissociate the Internal Marketing Division from any responsibility for a difficult supply position which has been experienced in the North Island, and, at the same time, give an impression that the Internal Marketing Division has come into retrieve the situation by arranging for imports . of potatoes from Australia, and by assuming some greater responsibility for production and marketing in future. We do not think that the Marketing Division has been generally blamed for the shortage, which, as already announced by the Minister, Hon. Mr. Roberts, has been due, practically solely, to the disastrous climatic conditions in producing districts this year. The statement criticises Mr. Honeyfield “for making a statement when matters were in the course of negotiation with the Minister through his of---ficers. These negotiations had been going on for some days, and, unless they were not being told the whole story as to the Government’s intentions,’ the Federation saw very little major change from what had obtained during the last two ypars concerning the production and distribu-j tion of potatoes and oniops. During 1943-44 and 1944-45. merchants undertook to contract for growing potatoes and onions, as agents for the Government, such procedure having been agreed upon as a war measure. The target acreage for 1945-46 under the scheme was 37,500 acres, and this was exactly the same target as was aimed at in 1944-45. As far as the Federation is aware, production will continue to be the prerogative of growers and the merchants, with the usual excellent assistance of the Department of Agriculture, and the marketing and distribution will still be through usual channels.” Mr. Honeyfield intimates that fifty thousand tons of potatoes are to be made available to the American forces next year. We would have thought it wiser not to make any commitments at this stage, as potatoes are not yet in ground, and our experience, over many years, and confirmed with a vengeance this last year, is that it is very dangerous to make any positive estimate until crops prospects are better known. In conclusion, we can only say that we are of the opinion, that if any public statements are to be made in these matters, they should emanate from the Minister himself, and not from an officer who had had very little to do with arrangements that have been made.